Nigeria has called for an urgent reform of global governance structures and international financial institutions to reflect contemporary economic and demographic realities.
Vice President Kashim Shettima made the call on behalf of President Bola Tinubu on Sunday at the 2026 BRICS Summit.
Shettima said Nigeria supports a more representative, equitable and responsive global governance system, including reforms to the United Nations Security Council and the international financial architecture.
He said the transformation being championed by BRICS should extend beyond economic cooperation to the broader international system.
“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,” he said.
The Vice President also urged BRICS to pursue partnerships that translate commitments into tangible development outcomes.
He said Nigeria was seeking “a BRICS partnership that moves from dialogue to delivery, from commitments to implementation, and from cooperation to measurable development outcomes.”
Shettima called on BRICS members and partners to view Nigeria as “a gateway to Africa’s expanding market under the African Continental Free Trade Area.”
“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 said.
The Vice President identified Nigeria’s youthful and dynamic population as one of the country’s greatest assets, noting that the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of young Nigerians were driving the nation’s innovation agenda.
He highlighted digital skills, entrepreneurship, research, artificial intelligence and technology-enabled businesses as key areas requiring greater investment.
Shettima cited initiatives such as 3MTT, Project BRIDGE and national artificial intelligence programmes as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy and human capital.
“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,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria sees its engagement with BRICS as an opportunity to deepen trade and investment, facilitate technology transfer and accelerate human-capital development.
“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,” he said.
He added that Nigeria was seeking an open, secure and inclusive digital ecosystem capable of supporting innovation, digital trade, responsible artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
“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,” Shettima said.
He stressed that BRICS partnerships should deliver practical benefits for member and partner countries through job creation, expanded trade, technology transfer and stronger productive capacity.
“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 said.
Modi Calls for Inclusive BRICS Cooperation
Earlier, while 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 commitment to cooperation, noting that the bloc was increasingly 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,” he said.
The Indian Prime Minister said initiatives such as BRICS CONNECT, the BRICS MSME Cooperation Portal and the BRICS Urban Mobility Hub were designed to promote skills development, employment, enterprise growth and knowledge-sharing among member and partner countries.
He also stressed the need to balance economic development with environmental responsibility, saying sustainability must remain central to BRICS cooperation and efforts to safeguard the interests of future generations.
