Ghana wants a seat at BRICS. On Tuesday, the country’s cabinet approved a formal application to join the bloc, Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said in Accra.
Ablakwa broke the news while hosting India’s external affairs minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Ghana has already asked New Delhi to back the bid.
The decision, Ablakwa said, is about options. Ghana currently leans on a narrow set of trade and diplomatic partners. BRICS, in his view, widens that field.
“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,” he said.
President John Dramani Mahama's cabinet signed off on the application. Ablakwa framed it as a deliberate pivot, not a symbolic gesture.
BRICS began in 2009 with four members: Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa joined soon after. The club stayed small for over a decade. Then it opened its doors.
Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates entered in 2024. Indonesia followed. Together, the members now produce roughly 28% of global GDP, according to EFG International.
That share is expected to climb to 30%. The bloc is also projected to drive 58% of global GDP growth between 2024 and 2029.
India Backs The Bid, But Caution Remains
Jaishankar welcomed Ghana’s interest. He stopped short of promising membership.
Any new entrant, he said, must be considered by the wider grouping. India is a founding member and carries weight in that conversation. Its support matters, but it is not enough on its own.
BRICS admits new members by consensus. Every existing state must agree. That principle was set at the 2023 Johannesburg Summit and has slowed expansion since.
Ghana’s timing is not random. The economy grew 5.8% in 2025, driven by services and private consumption, according to the African Development Bank.
Inflation eased to 14.6% from 22.9%. The fiscal deficit narrowed to 2.4% of GDP. Growth is expected to cool to 5% in 2026.
For Mahama’s government, those numbers are an argument. A stable economy, officials suggest, makes Ghana a credible partner rather than a passenger.
No date has been set for a decision. Ghana’s application now sits with the bloc. Its fate depends on capitals far from Accra.
