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By John Justice Ahoto
The Cabinet of President John Dramani Mahama has approved Ghana’s bid to join BRICS, the bloc of emerging economies, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has announced.
Mr. Ablakwa made the disclosure on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, during a joint press briefing with visiting Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Accra.
According to the Minister, the Cabinet decision is a major step towards formally seeking membership of the bloc.
“The major highlight, which I am disclosing to the Ghanaian people for the first time, is that the Cabinet of President John Dramani Mahama has decided that Ghana will be joining BRICS,” Mr. Ablakwa said.
He explained that the decision forms part of President Mahama’s vision for transformative economic growth under the government’s “New Economy”, a seven-pillar framework aimed at moving Ghana from economic stabilisation to transformation.
Mr. Ablakwa said Ghana must diversify its international partnerships to support the country’s economic transformation.
“To anchor the President’s new economic vision, we believe that we must diversify our international cooperation. We believe that BRICS offers an incredible opportunity,” he stated.
Economic options
The Foreign Affairs Minister said Ghana’s interest in BRICS is also linked to the government’s foreign policy priority of resource sovereignty and its desire to pursue a development path with greater policy flexibility.
He said membership could provide Ghana with additional economic options and deepen its engagement with countries within the Global South.
“We believe that joining India in BRICS will give us economic options, will diversify our base and our partnerships, and will also allow us to have more cooperation within the Global South framework,” Mr. Ablakwa added.
Ghana has not yet become a member of BRICS. The Cabinet approval is expected to pave the way for the country to begin the formal application process.
Mr. Ablakwa disclosed that Ghana had already sought India’s support for its bid, given India’s position as one of the bloc’s founding members.
Expanding global bloc
BRICS was originally established by Brazil, Russia, India and China as BRIC, before South Africa joined in 2010, giving the group its current acronym.
The bloc subsequently expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, while Indonesia became a full member in 2025.
The grouping also has partner countries, including Belarus, Cuba, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Together, BRICS members represent a significant share of the global population, economy and trade, giving the bloc increasing influence in international economic and geopolitical affairs.
Ghana-India cooperation
The announcement came during Dr. Jaishankar’s official visit to Ghana, during which the two countries signed two Memoranda of Understanding covering agriculture, agricultural research and training, biodiversity, health, and science and technology.
The two sides also discussed opportunities for stronger cooperation in railway development, pharmaceuticals, information and communications technology, defence, mining and digital technology.
Dr. Jaishankar welcomed Ghana’s role in the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States and called for closer cooperation between the two countries at the United Nations.
He also expressed support for discussions on reform of the UN Security Council.
Ghana already maintains diplomatic missions in the country of several BRICS members, including China, Brazil, India, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The government is expected to leverage these diplomatic relationships as it advances its application.
If Ghana’s application is successful, it would become one of the African countries with full membership of BRICS, further strengthening its economic and diplomatic engagement with the Global South.
