President Bola Tinubu has urged world leaders to reassess the current global governance structure and healthcare systems, urging greater equity and inclusion for low-income and emerging economies.
Speaking at the 17th meeting of the Global South and the Emerging Economies bloc, BRICS, on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, President Tinubu stated that environmental degradation, the climate crisis, and healthcare inequalities contribute to slowing growth and development and should therefore receive more attention.
This was contained in a press statement shared on X by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, Information & Strategy.
He noted that environmental degradation, climate crisis, and global healthcare inequalities were shared concerns pertinent to Africa.
“Africa has contributed the least to global emissions but suffers the most,” he added. President Tinubu emphasised the need for a new path of justice, anchored in fairness, sustainable technology transfer, and accessible financing, so that emerging economies can fully benefit from various initiatives.
“The African continent is creating the path through the African Carbon Market Initiative and the Great Green Wall. We believe that COP-30 will strengthen our resolve to adopt a strategic approach to achieving a healthy global environment.
“Nigeria strongly believes in South-South cooperation. We can, therefore, not be passive participants in global decision-making on financial restructuring, debt forgiveness, climate change, environmental issues, and healthcare.
“We must be the architects of a future that addresses the specific needs and concerns of youths, who represent 70 per cent of our population in Nigeria. Therefore, Nigeria remains guided by our long-term vision, 2050, and nationally determined contribution.
“We are taking bold steps to accelerate renewable energy adoption, mainstream climate action, promote nature-based solutions, strengthen urban resilience, champion South-South cooperation, align with the global renewal framework and achieve universal health coverage for all,” the President stated.
President Tinubu, invited to the summit by Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, stated that Nigeria supports the BRICS position on the need to focus on collective, fair, and equitable global development. Nigeria became the ninth partner country of BRICS in January 2025, joining Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.
The 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan in October 2024 created the partner-country category. President Tinubu said, “Nigeria, therefore, associates with what I have heard today and all that has happened in BRICS. The next issues are financial restructuring and reevaluation of the global structure.”