* Positions Nigeria as a gateway to Africa’s expanding market under AfCFTA
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu on Sunday took centre stage at the ongoing 2026 BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, calling for an urgent overhaul of global governance structures and international financial institutions.
He also called for a more representative, equitable and responsive global governance architecture and international financial system, restating Nigeria’s support for institutions that reflect contemporary economic and demographic realities.
Speaking at the summit in an address delivered on his behalf by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, President Tinubu said the transformation championed by BRICS must also extend to the international system.
His words: “Nigeria supports a more representative, equitable and responsive global governance architecture, including reform of the United Nations Security Council and the international financial system.
“BRICS amplifies the voice of the Global South and advances a more inclusive international order, consistent with Nigeria’s call for institutions that reflect contemporary economic and demographic realities.”
Accordingly, the president made Nigeria’s case for “a BRICS partnership that moves from dialogue to delivery, from commitments to implementation, and from cooperation to measurable development outcomes”.
Inviting foreign investors to take advantage of Nigeria’s investment opportunities, he urged them to view the country “as a gateway to Africa’s expanding market under the African Continental Free Trade Area”.
Tinubu defined economic resilience for Nigeria as building an economy capable of withstanding global shocks while creating sustainable opportunities for its citizens.
This, he noted, is embedded in his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda through reforms aimed at strengthening macroeconomic stability, diversifying production, raising productivity, expanding infrastructure and human capital, attracting investment, promoting private-sector-led growth and deepening climate resilience.
“We welcome BRICS cooperation in trade, agriculture, food security, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, healthcare and critical minerals, especially partnerships that advance technology transfer, local value addition, industrial capacity and employment,” he added.
The president identified Nigeria’s young and dynamic population as one of its greatest assets, saying its creativity and enterprise are driving the country’s innovation agenda.
He outlined key areas of investment to include digital skills, entrepreneurship, research, artificial intelligence, and technology-enabled businesses through initiatives such as 3MTT, Project BRIDGE and national AI programmes.
According to him, “We welcome deeper BRICS cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, fintech, telecommunications, cybersecurity, biotechnology and advanced manufacturing, because developing countries must produce technology, create knowledge and own intellectual property. A nation that owns no technology risks renting its future.
“Nigeria sees cooperation with BRICS as a practical opportunity for trade, investment, technology transfer, and human-capital development. We support partnerships in infrastructure, connectivity, energy, agriculture, healthcare, education, and industrialisation, backed by development finance.
“As Project BRIDGE expands broadband, fibre and digital public services, we seek an open, secure, and inclusive digital ecosystem that advances innovation, digital trade, responsible artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.”
Noting that Nigeria’s sustainability model balances climate action with the development aspirations of emerging economies, Tinubu reaffirmed the country’s support for affordable climate finance, technology transfer and capacity-building for Africa.
He also emphasised cooperation in renewable energy, gas, clean technologies, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable infrastructure and responsible critical-mineral development to ensure that climate responsibility drives broader economic growth.
The president expressed Nigeria’s readiness to contribute to a BRICS partnership that is resilient enough to withstand global shocks, innovative enough to embrace the future, cooperative enough to advance shared prosperity and sustainable enough to protect future generations.
“Our partnerships must create jobs, expand trade, transfer technology, and strengthen our nations’ productive capacity. We must build a future in which Africa moves from the margins of global development to the frontiers of global growth and innovation,” he maintained.
Earlier, opening the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said confidence in BRICS among countries of the Global South had grown because their voices were being heard, their experiences respected and solutions developed with them rather than for them.
Modi said the strength of BRICS lies in its diversity and cooperation, noting that the bloc was also expanding participation beyond governments to entrepreneurs, farmers, researchers, women, and young people.
“We may be rooted in different realities, but together, we rise through cooperation and blossom for humanity,” the Indian Prime Minister said.
He added that initiatives such as BRICS CONNECT, the BRICS MSME Cooperation Portal and the BRICS Urban Mobility Hub were designed to promote skills, employment, enterprise development and knowledge-sharing among member and partner countries.
The Indian Prime Minister also stressed the need to balance development with environmental responsibility, saying sustainability must remain central to BRICS cooperation and the interests of future generations.