President Bola Tinubu said on Monday that Nigeria has not joined the G-20 and BRICS as claimed in viral reports.
OsunDailyNG reports that the G20 is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union.
The group is saddled with the responsibility of addressing major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stability, climate change mitigation and sustainable development.
BRICS, on the other hand, is another group of major emerging economies that comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
On Monday night, while featuring on Channels Television programme ‘Politics Today’, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, noted that the administration of President Tinubu is currently considering the membership benefits of the gathering of the world’s largest economies.
It was reported earlier that the Nigerian leader will jet out of the country today to attend the G-20 summit in New Delhi, India.
Ngelale, however, said on the live television programme that “There are very wide and extensive consultations taking place within the government. We are assessing both the risks and benefits of becoming a G-20 member. We stand very confident that if our government takes a conscientious view that we should apply to become a member of the G-20, we have an excellent chance of being accepted.
“We have not applied to BRICS contrary to speculations out there. We have made no application to BRICs or the G-20 as of today. Our consideration is based on empirical analysis. It’s not based on sentiment or emotion. It’s about whether or not it will serve the national interest in the national economy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That is the assessment we’re making now.
“We’re still studying it. It is noteworthy that we are being invited with a special invitation by the host nation, India, to be part of this. But look, we want to be clear with our people that this is not just about theatrics, or some cosmetic view of geopolitics. This is about a black-and-white pursuit of the interest of investment to ensure that we can put our people to work in the country.”
