From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
At the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, President Bola Tinubu delivered a powerful message highlighting Africa’s disproportionate burden in the global climate crisis despite its minimal contribution to emissions. “Africa has contributed the least to global emissions but suffers the most,” he declared, calling for urgent reforms in global governance, finance, and healthcare systems to address these imbalances.
According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President, speaking on Saturday at the gathering of emerging economies and Global South nations, urged a comprehensive reevaluation of the current global order. “Nigeria, therefore, associates with what I have heard today and all that has happened in BRICS. The next issues are financial restructuring and reevaluation of the global structure,” he said, emphasising the need for fairness and inclusion for low-income countries, particularly in Africa.
The President stressed that environmental degradation, the climate crisis, and healthcare inequalities are major obstacles slowing growth and development across emerging economies. He called for a “new path of justice” grounded in fairness, sustainable technology transfer, and accessible financing to enable developing nations to benefit fully from global initiatives.
Highlighting Africa’s proactive efforts, Tinubu pointed to the continent’s leadership in climate action through initiatives like the African Carbon Market Initiative and the Great Green Wall project. “We believe that COP-30 will strengthen our resolve to adopt a strategic approach to achieving a healthy global environment,” he added.
Tinubu also underscored Nigeria’s commitment to South-South cooperation as a means to amplify the voices of developing countries in global decision-making. “We can, therefore, not be passive participants in global decision-making on financial restructuring, debt forgiveness, climate change, environmental issues, and healthcare,” he said.
Addressing the continent’s youthful population, which constitutes 70 percent of Nigeria’s citizens, the President emphasised the need for a future that meets their specific needs. He outlined Nigeria’s long-term vision and ongoing reforms, stating, “We are taking bold steps to accelerate renewable energy adoption, mainstream climate action, promote nature-based solutions, strengthen urban resilience, champion South-South cooperation, align with the global renewal framework, and achieve universal health coverage for all.”
On healthcare, Tinubu highlighted the growing challenge of non-communicable diseases and called for collective action. “As we approach COP-30 and look to strengthen the global health system, we believe the BRICS must not only be a bloc for emerging economies but also a beacon for emerging solutions and resolutions rooted in solidarity, self-reliance, sustainability, and shared prosperity of a common future,” he said.
Nigeria’s participation at the summit marks its first as a BRICS partner country, a status it attained in January 2025 alongside Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. The partner-country category was established at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia.
Tinubu was accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar and Finance Minister Wale Edun.