Ghana is seeking to join BRICS. On Tuesday, October 6, Accra announced plans to formally apply for membership in the group as part of a strategy to diversify its economic and diplomatic partnerships.
The announcement was made in Accra by Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa during a joint press conference with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
“President John Dramani Mahama’s Cabinet has decided that Ghana will join BRICS,” Ghana’s top diplomat declared. He clarified, however, that the country must still formally submit its application, secure support and complete the admission process.
The Indian foreign minister’s visit to Accra comes as Ghana seeks New Delhi’s backing for its membership bid. India is one of the founding members of BRICS.
Economic relations between the two countries have also expanded significantly. According to Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, bilateral trade has risen from approximately $3 billion in 2024 to nearly $7 billion today.
Accra and New Delhi have also signed two memoranda of understanding covering agriculture and science and technology. Both countries aim to deepen cooperation in rail transport, pharmaceuticals, information technology and defense.
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar expressed support for Ghana’s ambitions while emphasizing that BRICS membership requires a collective decision by the group’s members.
For the Ghanaian government, the initiative forms part of President John Dramani Mahama’s economic strategy, known as the “New Economy.” Built around seven pillars, the strategy aims to stimulate growth, create jobs and accelerate industrialization.
Accra also intends to strengthen control over its natural resources and reduce its dependence on raw material exports.
“We do not want to continue exporting raw materials,” Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa stressed, advocating a greater focus on local processing and economic relationships based, in his view, on partnerships between equals.
The minister nevertheless emphasized that Ghana has no intention of abandoning its traditional partners. The country remains a member of the Bretton Woods institutions and acknowledges the role of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), which provided approximately $700 million in support during the 2023–2024 financial crisis.
Six African Countries Within the BRICS Framework
Originally established by Brazil, Russia, India and China, BRICS welcomed South Africa in 2010. The group subsequently expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in 2024, followed by Indonesia.
BRICS now distinguishes between full members and partner countries, a status introduced at the Kazan summit in October 2024.
Africa currently has six countries associated with the group: South Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia as full members, and Nigeria, Uganda and Algeria as partner countries.
For now, Accra has not specified when it will formally submit its application or which membership status it intends to pursue. Admission will depend on agreement among BRICS members, with the founding countries playing a decisive role in the process.
Through this initiative, Ghana is signaling its ambition to diversify its economic and diplomatic alliances while maintaining its traditional partnerships.
