An Oblong Media Unlimited Investigative Analysis
As world powers gathered under the BRICS banner in Rio de Janeiro this July, something historic and quietly revolutionary was taking place. It wasn’t just the expanded presence of new member states or lofty declarations of multipolar dreams. It was the unmistakable shift of global power, away from the coercive grip of a unipolar West, and toward a concert of emerging economies determined to reset the rules. And Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, was finally in the room.
Officially admitted as a BRICS partner country during the 17th BRICS Summit, Nigeria’s symbolic and strategic inclusion signals a possible departure from decades of Western economic dependence, political interference, and transactional diplomacy. For too long, Nigeria has danced to the rhythm of Bretton Woods institutions, IMF conditionalities, World Bank prescriptions, and petrodollar fluctuations. Now, the opportunity to rewrite its economic and geopolitical playbook is on the table, but will Nigeria seize it?
At the heart of the summit was a growing frustration with U.S. trade hegemony and protectionist policies, especially under the return of Donald Trump. In a joint communique, BRICS condemned the rising use of unilateral tariffs and economic sanctions, describing them as hostile tools of neocolonial economic warfare. South Africa’s chief delegate, Ambassador Xolisa Mabhongo, said it plainly: “These tariffs are not good for development. They are not good for the world economy.”
For Nigeria, the message couldn’t be more relevant. A country perpetually vulnerable to foreign-dictated economic terms, it now has the chance to participate in a platform built on South-South cooperation, equal sovereignty, and mutual benefit. The BRICS Bank, under the leadership of Dilma Rousseff, has already approved over $40 billion in clean energy, transport, and infrastructure projects. Nigeria, plagued by infrastructure decay and energy poverty, should not only position itself as a borrower, but as a co-architect of the bank’s vision and priorities.
The summit was not without internal contradictions. BRICS is an alliance of strange bedfellows: democratic and authoritarian, socialist and capitalist, nuclear-armed and non-nuclear, devoutly religious and deeply secular. Yet, the bloc manages to speak with a relatively united voice on key issues, reforming global governance, reducing dollar dependence, and challenging Western exceptionalism. With China and India both vying for leadership within the group, the challenge is no longer unity of purpose but clarity of direction.
Still, the momentum is undeniable. BRICS nations now account for about 40% of global GDP and represent more than half the world’s population. Trade among the five original members grew 40% in three years, reaching $740 billion. The bloc’s rapid expansion to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the UAE sends a signal that the Global South is done waiting to be invited, it’s creating its own table.
What was most telling about the summit, however, was not what was said, but what was implied. China openly reaffirmed its commitment to multilateralism and proposed tighter cooperation in digital technology, green development, aerospace, and scientific research. India, taking over the 2026 chairmanship, pushed for a more demand-driven, self-financing New Development Bank. Brazil renewed its controversial call for a single BRICS currency, challenging the global dominance of the dollar, a threat that Washington is clearly monitoring with unease.
Trump, for his part, remains wary. He has warned of retaliatory tariffs on countries that align with BRICS policies. His administration continues to view the alliance as a hostile axis, a threat to U.S. economic supremacy. But that threat is only growing stronger, not weaker. Russia, despite sanctions, has proposed a BRICS Grain Exchange, a Climate Research Centre, and a unified tax and arbitration platform, all steps toward economic sovereignty and institutional independence from the West.
Nigeria must tread carefully, but boldly. Aligning with BRICS is not just an economic strategy, it is a statement of intent. A declaration that Africa is no longer a pawn in the game of global power, but a player in its own right. With the Naira under pressure, foreign reserves in decline, and Western loans tightening their noose, Nigeria needs alternatives. BRICS offers that, but only to those willing to move beyond rhetoric and act with strategic conviction.
The Nigerian delegation’s presence in Rio must not end in photo ops and diplomatic platitudes. The road ahead is clear: build credible partnerships within the bloc, push for infrastructure and energy investments, seek currency swap mechanisms to ease dollar reliance, and advocate for Africa’s voice in crafting a post-Western global order.
The time of fence-sitting is over. Either Nigeria becomes a builder of the new multipolar world, or it remains a casualty of the old unipolar empire.
This is not just a new alignment. It is a historical reckoning. BRICS is not perfect, but it is willing. The question is: is Nigeria ready?
By the Editorial Board, Oblong Media Unlimited
OBLONG MEDIA UNLIMITED 
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