Ghana plans to formally apply for membership in BRICS, the bloc of large emerging economies that started with Brazil, Russia, India and China. Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the decision in Accra on Tuesday, describing it as something he was disclosing to Ghanaians "for the first time."
Why Ghana wants in
Ablakwa said President John Dramani Mahama's cabinet approved the move as part of a push to diversify the country's foreign partnerships and move from economic stabilization toward growth, according to the state-run Ghana News Agency. He stressed that Ghana is not abandoning the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank or its other traditional partners. "We are not going to walk away from our traditional partners who value that relationship, but we must have new friends," he said.
He framed BRICS as a way to give Ghana more choices for financing and investment, and spoke of "resource sovereignty," meaning processing more of the country's natural resources at home rather than shipping them out raw. The Ghana News Agency reported that he also said the government did not want its development options limited by conditions set by a small number of international institutions. He named India, Brazil and China as key economic partners and said trade with India had grown sharply from about $3 billion in 2024.
India's response
The announcement came during a joint news conference with India's external affairs minister, S. Jaishankar, who was in Ghana on the first stop of a tour that also includes Côte d'Ivoire and Ethiopia, India Today reported. Ablakwa said Ghana had formally asked for India's help with its bid.
Jaishankar said India has "always been very sympathetic and supportive of Ghana's aspirations," but made clear that one member cannot decide alone. "Obviously, this is an issue of collective consideration," he said, according to the Ghana News Agency. The two countries also signed agreements on agricultural research and training and on biodiversity, and discussed wider cooperation in pharmaceuticals, mining, defense, railways and digital services.
A growing bloc
South Africa joined the original four in 2011. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were added in January 2024, and Indonesia in January 2025, bringing full membership to 11, the Ghana News Agency noted. Nigeria, Uganda and several other countries hold a looser partner status.
If admitted, Ghana would join Egypt, Ethiopia and South Africa as African members. Ablakwa said Ghana's embassies in member countries would be used to build support, but no timeline for a decision has been announced.