Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has pointed out that the administration he served under, the NPP, once commissioned a technical study into Ghana joining BRICS. In an interview on TV3's The KeyPoints on October 10, 2026, Ablakwa referenced an October 2023 technical committee report produced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under President Akufo-Addo. The committee brought together stakeholders from selected ministries to review a concept note and advise the then-government on the implications of Ghana joining or staying out of BRICS.
According to Ablakwa, the report acknowledged the importance of the vision behind BRICS and weighed the potential consequences for Ghana of either path. He argued that this history makes it difficult for NPP figures to credibly dismiss the current proposal outright. Ablakwa questioned why they now describe the move as dangerous or likely to provoke the International Monetary Fund when their own government had quietly studied the same question three years earlier.
Ablakwa accused critics of letting party politics override what he called a serious national matter with implications for Ghana's development and economic direction. He said discussions on BRICS ought to be guided by facts and careful analysis rather than point-scoring. Ablakwa stressed that Ghana's interest in the bloc is about broadening economic options rather than abandoning existing Western partnerships.
The intervention comes a day after Ablakwa confirmed that Ghana is pursuing BRICS Partner Country status rather than full membership. That distinction has been central to the government's defence of the move, with officials framing partner status as a lighter form of engagement than becoming a full member of the bloc.
BRICS is a grouping of major emerging economies — originally Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — that has since expanded and increasingly positions itself as an alternative economic and political bloc to Western-led institutions. For ordinary Ghanaians, the debate over BRICS engagement touches on questions of trade access, investment flows and how the country balances relationships with traditional partners such as the United States and European nations against newer ties with countries like China and India.
Government officials have suggested partner status could open new markets and partnerships, though the practical trade and financial implications for Ghana have not been detailed in the available reporting. The sources reviewed do not specify a timeline for when Ghana's application for BRICS Partner Country status will be decided or when further details of the 2023 technical committee report might be made public.
Ablakwa's remarks on TV3 did not include a date for any parliamentary debate or formal government statement on the matter, so the next steps in this process remain unclear. The exchange nonetheless signals that BRICS is likely to remain a point of contention between the governing NDC and the opposition NPP, with Ablakwa's citation of the Akufo-Addo-era report adding a new layer to arguments over consistency on Ghana's foreign and trade policy direction.
Key points
- Ablakwa says a 2023 technical committee under Akufo-Addo examined Ghana joining BRICS, questioning NPP's current opposition.
- Ghana is pursuing BRICS Partner Country status rather than full membership.
- The debate over BRICS engagement touches on questions of trade access, investment flows and balancing relationships with traditional and new partners.
