In a year marked by seismic shifts in global alliances and diplomatic recalibrations, Nigeria’s recent admission as a ‘partner country’ of the BRICS bloc and its assertive stance on international migration policy have thrust Africa’s most populous nation to the center of the multipolar world order. These developments, unfolding against the backdrop of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, and a series of controversial U.S. immigration decisions, reveal the complex interplay between economic ambition, sovereignty, and the evolving architecture of global power.
BRICS, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has steadily expanded its influence, boasting a combined GDP that in 2023 surpassed that of the G7—31.5 percent of global output to the G7’s 30.7 percent, according to summit figures cited by Business Insider Africa. In 2024, the bloc welcomed six new full members—Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE—before introducing a new ‘partner country’ status at the Kazan summit. Nigeria, alongside twelve other nations, was formally admitted under this category in January 2025, a move that signals both opportunity and caution for the West African giant.
This new status allows Nigeria to participate in select BRICS activities and dialogues, though it falls short of conferring full membership or voting rights. The decision followed years of speculation and internal debate, with Vice President Kashim Shettima clarifying at the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa that Nigeria had not yet applied for full membership. Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar reinforced this measured approach, stating Nigeria would consider full membership “at the right time,” after thorough internal evaluation and alignment with national priorities.
The allure of BRICS is clear for a country grappling with currency instability, high inflation, and persistent external debt. The bloc’s growing push to reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar in trade—exemplified by India’s oil transactions with Russia settled in rupees and rubles—has resonated with Nigerian policymakers and activists alike. Human rights advocate Femi Falana has been especially vocal, urging the government to sell Nigeria’s crude oil and gas in naira. “Let those who want to buy our products look for naira,” Falana argued, suggesting such a move could boost the domestic currency’s demand and enhance economic resilience.
Yet, critics warn that such a strategy may be premature. Professor Uche Uwaleke, a leading financial economist, cautions, “The strength of your currency is a function of demand, productivity, and investor confidence. Without a diversified export base and strong manufacturing, ditching the dollar prematurely could backfire.” Nigeria’s economy remains heavily reliant on crude oil, which accounts for over 85 percent of export earnings and about half of government revenue as of 2025. Without significant progress in value-added industrial exports or intra-African trade, the risks of currency isolation and liquidity crises loom large.
Calls for a more holistic domestic strategy have grown louder. Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, former president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), laid out a roadmap for Nigeria’s sustainable development while accepting the 2023 Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership in Lagos. He emphasized five pillars: food security, universal healthcare, education for all, affordable housing, and government accountability. The AfDB’s commitment—over $8.5 billion invested in African agriculture in the past seven years, including $518 million for agro-industrial processing zones in Nigeria, plus a $10 billion facility for pandemic preparedness and a $3 billion plan to overhaul the pharmaceutical industry—reflects this vision of long-term, inclusive growth.
Adesina’s warning about rural neglect is especially pertinent: with more than 70 percent of Nigeria’s population living in rural areas, failure to empower these communities risks fueling unrest and economic stagnation. As he noted, “Rural collapse leads to insecurity, terrorism, and economic stagnation.” The education sector, too, remains a vulnerability, with millions of children out of school and foundational weaknesses that must be addressed before Nigeria can fully leverage global economic opportunities.
Meanwhile, the global context is shifting rapidly. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, which convened at least four nuclear powers—China, Russia, India, and Pakistan—and included permanent UN Security Council members China and Russia, underscored a collaborative approach to security and economic cooperation. China’s proposal for a new Shanghai Cooperation Bank aims to finance major infrastructure projects and reduce dependence on Western-controlled institutions like the IMF and World Bank, where the U.S. exercises de facto veto power through its 16.5 percent voting share.
China’s growing influence is also evident in its $1.7 billion pledge for SCO projects, including $2 billion in grants and $10 billion in low-interest loans. The SCO Energy Club, established at Russia’s behest nearly two decades ago, is emerging as a competitor to OPEC, aiming to harmonize energy strategies among major producers like Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, and consumers like China and India. With SCO member states representing about 43 percent of the world’s population and nearly a quarter of global GDP (about $27.83 trillion in 2024), the shift toward multipolarity is unmistakable.
India, with a population of 1.463 billion—68 percent of whom are of working age—epitomizes the demographic dynamism that can drive economic growth if paired with investments in education, healthcare, and technology. The SCO’s focus on energy security, AI, counter-terrorism, and maritime trade reflects a broader trend: the rise of the Global South as a coalition capable of shaping international norms and policies.
Against this backdrop, U.S. immigration policy has become a flashpoint. In March 2025, the Trump administration invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport over 240 alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador—despite a court order temporarily restraining enforcement and without providing evidence of gang affiliation, as reported by The Guardian. On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order attempting to deny birthright citizenship to children born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents. The U.S. Appeals Court ruled the order unconstitutional, but the case remains before the Supreme Court.
Further controversy erupted in June 2025 when 20 U.S. states sued the Department of Justice, alleging that access to Medicaid and other benefits data was used to facilitate immigration raids—potentially violating the 1974 Privacy Act. The practice of deporting migrants to ‘third countries’ also drew fire. In July 2025, Eswatini accepted five immigration offenders from the U.S. who had no ties to the country, a move its largest opposition party called “human trafficking disguised as a deportation deal.”
Nigeria, however, took a different path. When asked to accept 300 Venezuelan deportees from the U.S., the Nigerian government refused, citing its population of over 230 million and asserting that “it will be unfair for Nigeria to accept 300 Venezuelan deportees.” This assertion of sovereign autonomy drew both praise and repercussions: according to Business Insider Africa, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria subsequently revoked the valid visas of many Nigerians, impacting students, families, business travelers, and officials.
These diplomatic frictions, coupled with Nigeria’s strategic engagement with BRICS and the SCO, illustrate the new realities of a multipolar world. As old orthodoxies give way to new alliances and assertive national policies, the choices made by countries like Nigeria will shape not only their own futures but also the contours of global governance for years to come.
In this rapidly changing landscape, Nigeria’s balancing act—between external opportunity and internal reform, between sovereignty and interdependence—will be watched closely by allies and rivals alike.