Ghana to Formally Apply for BRICS Membership
Ghana to Formally Apply for BRICS Membership as Jaishankar Backs Accra's Bid
Ghana's Cabinet has approved a decision to seek BRICS membership, and the West African nation will now formally apply to join the grouping, Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa announced on October 8, with India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar saying New Delhi has been "very sympathetic and supportive" of Accra's aspirations.
The announcement came as Jaishankar arrived in Ghana on the first leg of a three-nation African tour that also includes Côte d'Ivoire and Ethiopia, and followed talks with Ghana's leadership in Accra.
"We Must Have New Friends"
Addressing the media alongside Jaishankar after their meeting, Ablakwa framed the move as a matter of diversification, not abandonment. "We want to have options. We are not going to walk away from our traditional partners. We value that relationship, but we must have new friends," he said, stressing that Ghana would maintain ties with the IMF and World Bank while broadening its diplomatic and economic reach.
The foreign minister said Ghana also wants to deepen ties with historical partners such as India, Brazil, and China countries already engaged in significant trade and investment with Ghana. Trade with India, he noted, has more than doubled from around $3 billion in 2024, with the country aiming to lift it to roughly $7 billion.
BRICS membership, Ablakwa said, would give Ghana greater options as it seeks to transform its economy, create jobs, industrialize, and advance what he called an agenda of resource sovereignty. He added that the bid aligns with President John Dramani Mahama's foreign policy priorities and his vision of a multipolar world. Ghana will now formally apply and seek the backing of existing members, though admission ultimately requires the grouping's collective approval.
India's Backing With a Caveat
Jaishankar said BRICS brings together countries that value "independence of thought and freedom of choice," and that it's understandable the grouping's message resonates worldwide.
"Where we are concerned, we have always been very sympathetic and supportive of Ghana's aspirations and hopes," he said, while noting, carefully, that membership "would be a matter for collective consideration."
Beyond BRICS: India–Ghana Ties Deepen
The visit produced more than diplomatic signals. Jaishankar said the two countries are looking to expand cooperation in pharmaceuticals and healthcare, mining, defence, railways, and digital sectors as they take their Comprehensive Partnership "to the next level."
"Now that we have established a comprehensive partnership, we need to live up to that. We need to find new areas of cooperation. We need to deepen our long-standing partnership," he said.
The two sides signed agreements on agricultural research and training, and on biodiversity. Jaishankar highlighted recent Indian investment commitments in Ghana in pharmaceuticals and medical services, poultry, and renewable energy, and noted the parallels between the two countries' programs on food security, healthcare, digitalization, and infrastructure.
He closed with a call to joint action on global governance: with a shared outlook on reforming the United Nations, including the Security Council, India and Ghana, he said, should work together as Global South partners and voices for independence and strategic autonomy in an increasingly multipolar world.