BRICS summit begins in South Africa as VP Shettima represents Tinubu

Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima will represent President Bola Tinubu at the 15th BRICS Summit of Heads of State and Government.

The annual BRICS alliance summit has kicked off in South Africa, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. With aspirations of becoming a broader “BRICS plus” coalition, the alliance is open to welcoming additional members.

However, the criteria for admitting these new members are still pending agreement, and the timeline for their inclusion remains uncertain.

Key Figures attending the summit

Key figures expected to grace the event are China’s President Xi Jinping, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be present in person.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and participate through a video link.

Putin’s physical attendance is impeded by the threat of arrest due to allegations of war crimes during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as per an International Criminal Court warrant issued in The Hague.

Additionally, the event will see the attendance of 67 high-ranking politicians from Africa and the global South, along with 20 representatives from the United Nations, the African Union, regional African economic communities, and other organizations.

The motive behind the alliance

The motive behind the alliance’s expansion is the pursuit of alternative arrangements to the prevailing global power equilibrium, as articulated by South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor.

Collectively, the BRICS countries lay claim to 42% of the world’s population, 30% of the global landmass, and 24%of the global economic output.

Beyond the core members, more than 30 other countries have confirmed their involvement in the three-day conference.

What is BRICS all about?

The 15th summit of the BRICS group, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg from August 22 to August 24.

Established in 2009 as an informal alliance, the BRICS group aimed to provide a platform for its members to counter the dominance of the United States and its Western allies in the global order.

This initiative was spearheaded by Russia.

It’s important to note that the BRICS group is not a formal multilateral organization like the United Nations, World Bank, or the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Annually, the heads of state and government from the member nations gather, with each nation holding the group’s rotating chairmanship for a year