President Bola Tinubu has called for reforms to the UN Security Council and international financial system at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
President Bola Tinubu has called for the reform of the United Nations Security Council and the international financial system at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India.
Tinubu, whose address was delivered on his behalf by Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Sunday, said Nigeria supports a more representative, equitable and responsive global governance architecture.
The 2026 summit, themed “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability,” is chaired by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who opened proceedings by saying confidence in BRICS among countries of the Global South was growing because their voices were increasingly being heard and their experiences respected.
Nigeria’s Call for Global Governance Reform.
According to a statement issued by Stanley Nkwocha, presidential spokesman in the Office of the Vice-President, Tinubu said the transformation championed by BRICS must also extend to the 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,” the statement quoted him as saying.
“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.
“Nigeria calls for a BRICS partnership that moves from dialogue to delivery, from commitments to implementation, and from cooperation to measurable development outcomes.”
He added that the summit’s theme spoke directly to the realities confronting developing countries and to a shared aspiration for a fairer, more inclusive international order, and that Nigeria’s engagement with BRICS was guided by the goal of promoting mutually beneficial cooperation, strengthening South-South partnerships, and advancing Africa’s development priorities. He also thanked the government and people of India for hosting the summit and for its leadership as BRICS chair for 2026.
Building Economic Resilience at Home
Tinubu said his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda had driven reforms aimed at building a resilient economy and creating sustainable opportunities for Nigerians.
“For Nigeria, resilience means building an economy capable of withstanding global shocks while creating sustainable opportunities for our people. This is embedded in our Renewed Hope Agenda through reforms that strengthen macroeconomic stability, diversify production, raise productivity, expand infrastructure and human capital, attract investment for more private sector-led growth, and deepen climate resilience,” he said.
A Call for Investment and Trade Partnerships
The Nigerian leader invited BRICS member nations to partner with the federal government in sectors including energy, infrastructure, agriculture and trade, and urged BRICS investors to see Nigeria as a “gateway to Africa’s expanding market” given its role championing the African Continental Free Trade Area’s (AfCFTA) digital trade protocol.
“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,” the statement continued.
“We support rules-based multilateral trade, e-commerce and digital trade because no nation’s borders should define the limits of its enterprise.”
Nigeria’s Youth as a Strategic Asset
Tinubu pointed to Nigeria’s population of roughly 250 million people, with an average age of 16.9, describing the country’s young and dynamic population as its “greatest asset,” whose creativity he said was driving the government’s innovation agenda. He cited investment in digital skills, entrepreneurship, research, artificial intelligence and technology-enabled businesses through initiatives including 3MTT, Project BRIDGE and national AI programmes.
He welcomed deeper BRICS cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, fintech, telecommunications, cybersecurity, biotechnology and advanced manufacturing, warning that “a nation that owns no technology risks renting its future.”
Africa’s Place in Global Growth
Tinubu stressed Nigeria’s commitment to a BRICS partnership built on resilience, innovation and cooperation.
“Our partnership must create jobs, expand trade, transfer technology and strengthen our nation’s 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. Nigeria is ready to play its part,” he said.
Beyond Tinubu’s address, Nigeria’s participation at the summit extended to other officials. Trade and investment discussions also featured WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who held talks with Shettima on global trade and Nigeria’s commitment to the multilateral system, while Shettima separately reaffirmed Nigeria’s support for the WTO and rules-based multilateral trade.
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Photo Credit: Senator Kashim Shettima/X
