Published: · Region: Africa · Category: geopolitics

Ghana Moves to Join BRICS as It Looks Beyond Traditional Partners for Economic Options

Ghana has approved a formal application to join the BRICS grouping and asked India to support the bid, a move Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says is aimed at diversifying economic opportunities and deepening cooperation with the Global South.

Ghana is seeking a new place at the table of emerging powers, applying to join the BRICS grouping as it tries to broaden its economic and diplomatic options.

Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said Accra has approved a formal application to join BRICS. He spoke during the official visit of India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to Ghana, and noted that Ghana has already asked New Delhi to back its bid.

Ablakwa framed the step as an effort to expand economic opportunities and strengthen cooperation with the Global South. BRICS began as a club of major emerging economies and has become a broader political and economic platform for countries seeking more influence outside Western‑dominated forums.

For Ghana, the application signals a desire to add more partners and channels for trade, investment and diplomacy. Accra has deep ties with Western institutions and donors, but it is also engaging China, India and others in Asia and beyond.

India’s role is central to this move. By asking New Delhi for support while its foreign minister is in Accra, Ghana is leaning on an existing relationship with a key BRICS member that presents itself as a leading voice for the Global South.

The practical benefits of BRICS membership, if current members accept Ghana’s application, will depend on how the grouping’s leading states respond and what projects or financial links follow. Symbolically, the decision shows Ghana aligning itself more visibly with states pushing for greater influence for developing countries.

Signals to watch next include public reactions from current BRICS members, any mention of Ghana’s bid in joint statements or communiqués, and whether Accra begins to tie specific investment or development projects to its application.

Sources

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