Nigeria’s already struggling economy may face fresh challenges following threats by former United States President Donald Trump to impose additional trade tariffs on countries aligning with the BRICS bloc.
BRICS, an informal group of emerging economies originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include six more countries: Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, lashed out at the now 11-member group, warning of a 10 per cent tariff on all BRICS-aligned nations.
“Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy,” Trump stated.
Nigeria was officially admitted as the ninth BRICS partner country in January 2025, under a new membership category introduced during the 16th BRICS Summit held in October 2024.
President Bola Tinubu arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday to attend the 17th BRICS Summit. He is participating at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, based on Nigeria’s partner status — a level just below full membership.
