By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in New Delhi, India, to represent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit as Nigeria seeks new markets, investment opportunities and stronger economic partnerships with member and partner countries.
The summit is scheduled to hold from September 12 to 13, 2026, bringing together leaders and senior representatives of the expanded BRICS grouping in the Indian capital. India is hosting the summit as part of its 2026 BRICS chairmanship.
Shettima’s participation underscores Nigeria’s growing engagement with BRICS and its efforts to deepen economic cooperation with emerging economies. Nigeria is among the countries participating in the expanded BRICS framework as a partner country, providing an avenue for Abuja to pursue investment, trade and development opportunities.
According to reports, Nigeria is particularly interested in using the BRICS platform to attract fresh investment and gain access to new markets while strengthening economic partnerships with countries across the grouping.
The New Delhi summit comes at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions, with the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and strained relations between major global powers expected to influence discussions among participating countries. Reuters reports that the conflicts are also affecting global trade and energy routes, adding significance to this year’s meeting.
The expanded BRICS bloc now comprises 11 members and represents nearly half of the world’s population, giving the grouping considerable economic and geopolitical weight. The bloc has expanded significantly from its original membership and is seeking a greater role for emerging economies in global governance.
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Among the prominent leaders expected at the summit are Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Their presence is expected to give the summit additional diplomatic significance as members discuss economic cooperation, global governance and major international crises.
For Nigeria, Shettima’s participation provides an opportunity to advance the country’s economic diplomacy and present its investment potential before major emerging economies. The Federal Government is expected to use the engagement to pursue stronger trade relations, investment flows and partnerships capable of supporting Nigeria’s economic development.
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The Merit Newspaper reports that the summit will also provide an opportunity for Nigeria to strengthen its diplomatic engagement with countries outside traditional Western economic and political partnerships, while positioning the country to benefit from the expanding influence of the Global South.
As BRICS leaders deliberate on trade, investment, technology, food and energy security, global governance and other pressing international issues, Nigeria’s participation is expected to focus on securing practical economic benefits from its engagement with the grouping.
