Niger has announced plans to deepen cooperation with the BRICS group in 2025 as part of a broader strategy to expand international partnerships. This move comes weeks after Niger, along with Burkina Faso and Mali, officially withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), citing sovereignty concerns and dissatisfaction with the bloc’s policies.
Bakari Yau Sangare, Niger’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, emphasised the country’s commitment to building stronger relations with BRICS nations, which include China, Russia, India, Brazil, and South Africa. According to Sangare, the BRICS alliance offers an alternative model of collaboration that respects Niger’s sovereignty and interests.
The announcement follows a BRICS delegation visit to Niamey in January 2024, where discussions centred on strengthening economic and trade ties.
The decision to align more closely with BRICS reflects Niger’s broader push to diversify its international partnerships amid ongoing political and economic shifts in the region.
Recall that BRICS recently announced Nigeria alongside other new partner countries, including Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. The partner country category was introduced at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024.
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