Ghana has decided to formally apply to join the BRICS group of emerging economies, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said on Tuesday, as the government seeks to diversify the country’s international partnerships and expand economic cooperation with countries in the Global South.
The decision was approved by President John Dramani Mahama’s Cabinet and was announced in Accra during the official visit of India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Ablakwa said Ghana had already sought India’s support for its application, describing the country as an important economic and diplomatic partner.
“Joining India in BRICS will give us economic options, will diversify our base and our partnerships,” Ablakwa said, adding that membership would allow Ghana to strengthen cooperation with countries of the Global South. The minister said the move was part of the government’s broader economic transformation agenda, which aims to attract investment, create jobs, promote industrialisation and increase the value Ghana derives from its natural resources.
Ghana said its possible membership would complement rather than replace its existing relationships with traditional development partners. Ablakwa noted that the country remains a member of institutions including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, as well as African multilateral financial institutions. He said Ghana wanted to expand its options rather than abandon its existing partnerships.
India has welcomed Ghana’s interest, but Jaishankar stressed that membership would require consideration by the BRICS group as a whole. India’s support therefore does not guarantee Ghana’s admission. The Ghanaian government has not yet specified when the formal application will be submitted or whether it is seeking full membership or another form of participation.
BRICS began as BRIC, bringing together Brazil, Russia, India and China, before South Africa joined and the group adopted its current name. The bloc has since expanded, with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates joining in 2024, followed by Indonesia in 2025. It now has 11 full members, while several other countries participate as partner countries.
Ghana’s announcement comes as it and India seek to deepen their bilateral relationship. The two countries are working on cooperation in areas including agriculture, science and technology, railways, pharmaceuticals, information and communications technology, defence, mining and healthcare. Two memoranda of understanding covering agricultural research and training and science and technology were also signed during Jaishankar’s visit.
For Ghana, the proposed BRICS application represents an effort to widen its economic and diplomatic partnerships at a time when the country is pursuing a broader strategy of economic transformation. Any decision on membership, however, will ultimately depend on the existing BRICS members.
