Ghana To Formally Apply For BRICS Membership

Ghana’s Cabinet has approved plans for the country to formally apply for BRICS membership, Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has announced. The government says the move is intended to diversify Ghana’s international partnerships, attract investment, expand trade and support economic transformation while maintaining existing relationships with the IMF, World Bank and other traditional partners. Ghana has already sought India’s support, while the final membership decision would require consideration by existing BRICS members.

Ghana is set to formally apply for membership of BRICS after President John Dramani Mahama’s Cabinet approved the move, Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has announced.
Ablakwa disclosed the decision in Accra on Tuesday, saying the proposed membership is part of the government’s plan to diversify Ghana’s international partnerships, attract investment and create additional opportunities for economic development.
The minister stressed that joining BRICS would complement Ghana’s existing relationships with traditional development partners rather than replace them.
Ghana remains a member of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and maintains relationships with African multilateral financial institutions. The government says membership of BRICS would give the country additional options for trade, investment, financing and economic cooperation.

GHANA SEEKS MORE INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

According to Ablakwa, the decision reflects the Mahama administration’s broader economic strategy of moving beyond stabilisation towards transformative growth.
The government wants to attract more investment, expand industrial production, create jobs and increase the value Ghana obtains from its natural resources.
The minister said Ghana does not intend to abandon its traditional partners. Instead, the government wants to establish stronger relationships with a wider range of countries so that Ghana has more choices when pursuing its development objectives.
He described this approach as part of an effort to give Ghana greater room to determine how it finances and develops its economy.

INDIA, BRAZIL AND CHINA SEEN AS IMPORTANT PARTNERS

Ablakwa identified India, Brazil and China as important economic partners for Ghana and highlighted the country's expanding trade relationship with India.
He said bilateral trade between Ghana and India had increased from about $3 billion in 2024 to approximately $7 billion.
The government sees deeper relations with major emerging economies as an opportunity to expand markets for Ghanaian products, attract investment and strengthen cooperation in areas such as manufacturing, technology and infrastructure.
China is also an important economic partner for Ghana, while Brazil has longstanding diplomatic and commercial links with the country.

GHANA SEEKS INDIA’S SUPPORT

Ghana has already approached India for support for its BRICS membership application.
India’s External Affairs Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, was in Accra when Ghana announced the decision. According to the Ghanaian government, Jaishankar responded positively to Ghana’s interest while making clear that membership would ultimately require consideration by the BRICS countries collectively.
The support of existing members could therefore become important as Ghana prepares its formal application and begins discussions with the wider group.
Ghana has longstanding diplomatic relations with the founding BRICS countries and has maintained cooperation with them through bilateral and multilateral institutions.

GHANA WANTS TO ADD VALUE TO ITS NATURAL RESOURCES

A major part of the government's economic argument is the need to obtain greater value from Ghana’s natural resources.
The country produces commodities and raw materials for international markets, but the government wants to increase local processing and industrialisation instead of relying heavily on exports of unprocessed resources.
Ablakwa said Ghana wants partnerships that can support this objective and enable the country to develop industries around its resources.
Such a strategy could involve attracting investment and technology to expand local production, processing and manufacturing.

WHAT IS BRICS?
BRICS began as BRIC, bringing

together Brazil, Russia, India and China. The group was formally established as a diplomatic platform in 2006, with its first leaders’ summit held in Russia in 2009.
South Africa joined in 2011, giving the grouping its familiar BRICS name.
The organisation subsequently expanded significantly. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates became full members in 2024, while Indonesia joined in 2025.
BRICS currently has 11 full members: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
The group also has a partner country category, which was created to allow additional countries to participate in aspects of BRICS cooperation without becoming full members.

BRICS FOCUSES ON ECONOMIC AND GLOBAL GOVERNANCE ISSUES

BRICS provides a platform for its members to discuss economic, financial and political issues and to coordinate positions on areas of common interest.
Its agenda includes cooperation on trade, investment, development financing and reform of international institutions.
The grouping has also promoted greater participation by developing and emerging economies in global decision making.
For Ghana, joining would therefore provide another diplomatic and economic forum through which it could engage major emerging economies.
However, membership would not automatically guarantee increased investment or economic growth. The practical benefits would depend on the agreements Ghana reaches with other members and how effectively the country uses the opportunities available through the grouping.

GHANA’S APPLICATION WILL NOW MOVE FORWARD

The Ghanaian government is preparing its formal application and plans to seek support from existing BRICS members.
The application process will therefore involve diplomatic engagement with the countries already belonging to the group.
Ghana’s government sees the proposed membership as part of a wider strategy to build more diversified economic relationships while maintaining its existing partnerships with institutions such as the IMF, World Bank and African financial organisations.
If the application progresses, Ghana would join a growing group of countries seeking closer economic and diplomatic cooperation with the BRICS members.
For Ghana, the central question will be whether the new partnership can translate into greater trade, investment, industrialisation, job creation and opportunities to add value to its natural resources.