Ghana has announced plans to formally apply for membership of the BRICS bloc of emerging economies as the country seeks to expand its geopolitical and economic partnerships.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa disclosed this on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, in Accra during a joint press briefing with India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who is on an official visit to Ghana.

Ablakwa said the Cabinet of President John Dramani Mahama has approved the decision and that Ghana will now begin the formal application process.

“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,” Ablakwa said.

According to the minister, the move is part of efforts to diversify Ghana’s international partnerships, expand economic opportunities and strengthen cooperation with countries in 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, as far as South-South engagements are concerned,” he said.

Ablakwa stressed that joining BRICS will complement, not replace, Ghana’s existing relationships with traditional partners like the IMF, World Bank and African multilateral financial institutions.

“You do know that we are members of the IMF, we are members of the World Bank, and we are also founding members of the African multilateral financial institutions. But BRICS offers us that opportunity to have options in development, and you want to have options,” he noted.

He added that the decision aligns with the Mahama administration’s agenda to move the country from economic stabilization towards transformative growth, anchored on job creation, investment and value addition to natural resources.

Ghana has already approached India for assistance with the application process, citing India’s strategic membership of BRICS. Ablakwa said bilateral trade between Ghana and India has more than doubled from about $3 billion in 2024 to approximately $7 billion in 2025.

India’s External Affairs Minister Jaishankar welcomed Ghana’s interest and said India was supportive of Ghana’s aspirations, but noted that membership would require consideration by the wider BRICS grouping. India currently holds the rotating BRICS chair for 2026.

The announcement came as Ghana and India signed two Memoranda of Understanding covering agriculture, science and technology, with plans to deepen cooperation in railway development, pharmaceuticals, ICT, defence, and mining.

BRICS, originally formed by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2006, has expanded to 11 members including South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Indonesia. About 40 countries have expressed interest in joining, with 23 having formally applied.