Ghana is set to formally apply for membership of BRICS after Cabinet approved the country’s bid to join the bloc of major emerging economies.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the decision on October 6, 2026, during the official visit of India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, to Accra.
According to Mr Ablakwa, the move is intended to diversify Ghana’s international partnerships, create more economic opportunities and strengthen cooperation with countries in the Global South.
He said Ghana’s existing relationships with institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank would not be abandoned, but the country wanted additional options for pursuing its development agenda.
“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 should put in a formal application to join BRICS,” he said.
Mr Ablakwa said joining BRICS could give Ghana greater room to diversify its economic and diplomatic partnerships while strengthening South-South cooperation.
“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.
India’s membership of BRICS makes New Delhi an important partner in Ghana’s proposed bid. Mr Ablakwa disclosed that Ghana had already approached India for assistance with the application process.
Dr Jaishankar welcomed Ghana’s interest but noted that membership would ultimately require consideration by the BRICS grouping as a whole.
The announcement comes as Ghana and India seek to deepen their bilateral relationship across several sectors.
Mr Ablakwa said the two countries are working to expand cooperation in areas including railway development, pharmaceuticals, ICT, defence, agriculture, science and technology.
Ghana and India have also signed two Memoranda of Understanding covering agriculture and science and technology as part of efforts to strengthen their partnership.
Dr Jaishankar said India was interested in expanding cooperation with Ghana in pharmaceuticals, healthcare, mining, defence, railways and digital technology.
He said both countries face similar development challenges and could benefit from exchanging knowledge, expertise and experience.
The Indian minister also pointed to similarities between Ghana’s Accra Reset, Feed Ghana and One Million Coders initiatives and programmes being implemented in India.
The two countries have further signed agreements covering agricultural research and training as well as biodiversity.
Dr Jaishankar welcomed Ghana’s role in the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), while calling for stronger cooperation between the two countries at the United Nations.
He also advocated closer coordination on reforms to the UN Security Council as Ghana and India work to deepen their strategic partnership.
Mr Ablakwa said Dr Jaishankar was in Ghana for a two-day official visit at his invitation.
He described Ghana and India as “high-grade strategic partners”, noting that their relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Partnership during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Ghana in 2025.
Ghana’s BRICS move therefore forms part of a broader effort by the government to widen the country’s international partnerships while pursuing greater economic and diplomatic cooperation with emerging economies.
