Nigeria has been admitted as a “partner country” of the BRICS bloc of developing economies, according to Brazil, the group’s chair.

BRICS was formed by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2009, with South Africa added in 2010, as a counterweight to the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations.

Last year, the bloc added Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has been invited to join. Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia have formally applied to become members, and a few others have expressed interest.

Nigeria becomes the ninth BRICS partner country, joining Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.

“With the world’s sixth-largest population — and Africa’s largest — as well as being one of the continent’s major economies, Nigeria shares convergent interests with other members of BRICS,” Brazil’s government said in a statement Friday.

Poster Comment:

Many other countries have observer BRICS status, like Mexico, Egypt, Saudi Arabia.