BRICS: The industrialisation of Africa

MAYA Nikolskaya is acting director of the Centre for African Studies of the Institute for International Studies at MGIMO University, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She is an expert of the Russian International Affairs Council, a member of the Expert Council on the Development and Support of Comprehensive Partnership with African Countries under the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the Commission on International Development Assistance of Rossotrudnichestvo and the Valdai Discussion Club. Since 2019 she has been teaching the Swahili language at MGIMO University.

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In your opinion, how does broad representation of the African continent in BRICS contribute to the self-perception of states and their positioning in the global dialogue?

Africa is indeed now occupying an increasingly prominent place in international affairs, and we can see this through a wide range of indicators. We see how the AU has become a member of the G20. At present, South Africa is assuming the presidency of the G20. All of this comes down to the fact that Africa, as Africans themselves say, is making its voice louder on the international stage. And we can observe this both in the case of the African Union and in that of individual states.

Currently within BRICS there is an African bloc: as full members - the Republic of South Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia; as partners - Nigeria and Uganda. Algeria has also joined the New Development Bank, in effect also acting as a partner of the group, although it is not officially designated as such.