Nigeria’s partnership with BRICS works better than an alliance because within the international system, the latter is comparable to creating a divide, says Prof. Joshua Bolarinwa, an international relations and security expert.
Bolarinwa, the Director of Research and Studies at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.
NAN reports that BRICS is an inter-governmental organisation comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and other countries including Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia.
Nigeria recently accepted an invitation to be a BRICS partner-nation, a non-member status.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this will help to align Nigeria’s aspirations for inclusive growth.
Bolarinwa said that, from the premise of its foreign policy, Nigeria had always respected the principle of non-alignment.
He said that being a full member of BRICS would, thus, be an action against the principle.
The director said BRICS recognised Nigeria’s significance to operations at the level of development issues.
He noted that such a decision was based on national interest.
“It is Nigeria’s choice to be accepted as a partner because if we were keen on being a member, we would have long been, before South Africa or Egypt.
“We have the biggest market in Africa and are a strategic partner to a couple of countries, including China.”
On U.S. President Donald Trump ‘warning’ to BRICS against taking decisions that could lead to the de-dollarisation of the global economy, Amb. Layiwola Laseinde, said that threats from Trump should not stop nations from taking important political or international decisions.
Laseinde is a former Nigerian Ambassador to Angola.
Trump had threatened that BRICS nations would face a 100 per cent tariff on businesses with the U.S. if they would defy the dominance of the U.S. dollar.
However, Laseinde said that sanctions or threats would not work because a combination of the economies of BRICS nations was almost bigger than that of the U.S.
“America has to protect its interest too but third world countries need to decide what is better for them and protect what is important to them.
“I am happy as a former foreign affairs officer that Nigeria is able to partner with BRICS.
“Nigeria should have been a member for a long time but I understand we are very cautious not to take regretful actions,” he said. (NAN)
