***President calls for reform of UN, international financial institutions
Isaac Samuel
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for a more representative and equitable global governance architecture and international financial system, saying existing institutions must reflect contemporary economic and demographic realities.
Tinubu made the call on Sunday at the ongoing 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, India.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the President said Nigeria supported reforms to the United Nations Security Council and international financial institutions as part of efforts to create a global system that better reflected the interests of developing countries.
He said BRICS had become an important platform for amplifying the voice of the Global South and advancing a more inclusive international order.
“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,” Tinubu said.
The President urged BRICS countries to move beyond declarations and translate their cooperation into measurable economic and developmental outcomes.
According to him, Nigeria seeks “a BRICS partnership that moves from dialogue to delivery, from commitments to implementation, and from cooperation to measurable development outcomes.”
Tinubu also used the summit to court foreign investors, positioning Nigeria as a gateway to Africa’s expanding market under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He said Nigeria’s economic resilience strategy was focused on building an economy capable of withstanding global shocks while creating sustainable opportunities for its citizens.
According to him, the objective is being pursued under his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda through reforms designed to strengthen macroeconomic stability, diversify production, raise productivity, expand infrastructure and human capital, attract investment, promote private-sector-led growth and deepen climate resilience.
Tinubu said Nigeria was ready to deepen cooperation with BRICS in trade, agriculture, food security, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, healthcare and critical minerals.
He, however, stressed that such partnerships should prioritise technology transfer, local value addition, industrial capacity and employment.
“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 President identified Nigeria’s young population as one of the country’s major assets, saying the creativity and enterprise of young Nigerians were driving the country’s innovation agenda.
He listed digital skills, entrepreneurship, research, artificial intelligence and technology-enabled businesses among areas requiring greater investment, citing initiatives such as 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT), Project BRIDGE and national AI programmes.
Tinubu called for deeper BRICS cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, fintech, telecommunications, cybersecurity, biotechnology and advanced manufacturing.
He said developing countries must move beyond consuming technology to producing it and owning intellectual property.
“A nation that owns no technology risks renting its future,” he warned.
The President said Nigeria regarded cooperation with BRICS as an opportunity to expand trade and investment while accelerating technology transfer and human-capital development.
He sought partnerships in infrastructure, connectivity, energy, agriculture, healthcare, education and industrialisation, backed by development finance.
On digital infrastructure, Tinubu said Project BRIDGE, which seeks to expand broadband, fibre connectivity and digital public services, would require an open, secure and inclusive digital ecosystem capable of supporting innovation, digital trade, responsible artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
He called for stronger cooperation on climate action, saying Nigeria’s sustainability model sought to balance environmental responsibility with the development aspirations of emerging economies.
Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s support for affordable climate finance, technology transfer and capacity-building for Africa.
He identified renewable energy, gas, clean technologies, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable infrastructure and responsible development of critical minerals as areas for greater cooperation.
The President said Nigeria was prepared to contribute to a BRICS partnership that was resilient enough to withstand global shocks, innovative enough to embrace emerging technologies and sustainable enough to protect future generations.
“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.
Earlier, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while opening the summit, said confidence in BRICS among countries of the Global South had increased because their voices were being heard and their experiences respected.
Modi said solutions were increasingly being developed with developing countries rather than for them.
He said the strength of BRICS lay in it
Ls diversity and cooperation, adding that the bloc was 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,” Modi said.
He also highlighted initiatives such as BRICS CONNECT, the BRICS MSME Cooperation Portal and the BRICS Urban Mobility Hub, saying they were aimed at promoting skills, employment, enterprise development and knowledge-sharing among member and partner countries.
Modi further stressed the need to balance development with environmental responsibility, saying sustainability must remain central to BRICS cooperation and efforts to protect the interests of future generations.
