On Tuesday, October 6, 2026, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced in Accra that President John Dramani Mahama’s Cabinet has decided Ghana should apply to join BRICS, the bloc of large emerging economies. He spoke during an official visit by India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, according to the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
Ghana is not a BRICS member. Reports agree the application still has to be made, and that existing members must agree to admit it.
The Announcement, in His Words
GNA quotes Ablakwa as saying: “Another 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.”
Citi Newsroom carries a slightly different version: “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.”
“Apply” Is Not “Join”
The Rio Times quotes Ablakwa on the next stage: “We are now going to take baby steps to formally apply and to seek the support. You must be admitted.” The same report says he called the bid “an issue of collective consideration” for the bloc.
GNA reports that the government is preparing to submit the application and will seek the support of existing members. It reports that Ghana has formally asked India for help with the process.
Jaishankar was careful on the same point. DD News reports that he said India has been “very sympathetic and supportive” of Ghana’s aspirations. TV BRICS and GhanaWeb both report that he added that any expansion must be considered collectively by BRICS members.
The Rio Times notes that ten partner countries joined in 2025, a tier below full membership, and lists Nigeria and Uganda among them. None gives a date for submitting the application or for a decision.
Why the Government Says It Wants This
Ablakwa framed the move around choice. TV BRICS, citing GNA, quotes him: “BRICS offers us that opportunity to have options in development.”
Citi Newsroom quotes him on India: “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.”
DD News reports that he said membership would help Ghana transform its economy, create jobs and industrialise. It says he linked this to what he called an agenda of resource sovereignty. TV BRICS adds that he named investment and greater value addition to Ghana’s natural resources.
He also said the bid is not a break with older partners. The Rio Times reports that he said the bid does not mean Ghana is leaving the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank, and that Ghana remains in both. Modern Ghana reports that he said the aim is more flexibility, not abandonment of traditional partners.
He called China “a very major economic player” in Ghana, according to The Rio Times. Modern Ghana adds that he cited Afreximbank’s support during the 2023 to 2024 financial crisis, which he put at about US$700 million.
The India Link
The announcement came during Jaishankar’s visit. The India Narrative, an opinion outlet, describes Ghana as the first stop of a five-day tour that also takes him to Côte d’Ivoire and Ethiopia.
The Rio Times reports Ablakwa as saying trade between Ghana and India has more than doubled. He put it at around US$3 billion in 2024 and about US$7 billion now. We have not seen the trade statistics behind those figures.
Ghanaian News Canada reports that the two countries recently raised their relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership. Two memoranda of understanding were signed during the visit.
GBC Ghana Online reports that Ablakwa listed areas for deeper cooperation. They are railway development, pharmaceuticals, information technology, defence, agriculture, and science and technology.
DD News quotes Jaishankar on another shared goal: “We feel that as Global South partners we should be working together strongly for the reform of the United Nations, including the Security Council.”
The Domestic Response
The Minority in Parliament has asked for more information. GBC Ghana Online reports that it has called for an urgent parliamentary briefing on the proposed membership. It wants full disclosure of the geopolitical and national interest implications.
GBC added that the Minority’s position this way: the executive cannot commit the country to a major geopolitical alignment without giving the legislature a comprehensive economic impact assessment. The report does not name the Minority member who made the call.
GBC also reports that the Foreign Affairs Ministry has defended the bid. It says joining is part of a wider foreign policy plan to widen Ghana’s development options without abandoning long-standing relations with Western financial institutions.
How It Is Being Framed Abroad
The Rio Times describes the decision as a step that could test ties with Washington. A Modern Ghana analysis, “Ghana Wants to Join BRICS: Ready or Not?”, says Accra must weigh how Washington and other Western partners will react, particularly while a trade deal and the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act remain uncertain. It also notes that the bloc’s internal disagreements can be sharp.
What Is Not Yet Known
When the application will be submitted, and when BRICS members might decide.
Whether Parliament will receive the briefing the Minority wants.
Any formal reaction from the United States or other Western partners.
What to Watch
Three things will show how serious and how fast this is. The first is the application itself, and whether it names a membership tier. The second is whether the Ministry gives Parliament the briefing and impact assessment the Minority is asking for. The third is how Ghana’s Western partners respond, given the open trade questions that Modern Ghana raises.
For now, the sourced position is modest. Ghana’s Cabinet has decided to seek admission. Admission is not in Ghana’s hands.
