Between the Global South and the North: Nigeria’s “Soft Balancing” through BRICS – JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE FOR AFRICAN STUDIES

Author:

Andreeva T.A.¹, Sukhova D.M.²

Affiliation:

1. Center for African Strategy in BRICS, Institute for African Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
2. Intexpertise LLC, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation

Abstract:

The paper offers an analysis of Nigeria’s contemporary foreign policy and foreign economic strategy in the context of its accession to BRICS as a partner country. The authors proceed from the assumption that Nigerian elites tend to avoid making foreign policy decisions within a zero-sum game logic, which would imply abandoning cooperation with the West in favor of alignment with the Global South, or vice versa. The central focus of the research is to determine which behavioral model—soft balancing or soft bandwagoning—better characterizes Nigeria’s current strategic orientation. Special attention is paid to Bola Tinubu’s foreign policy doctrine and economic reforms aimed at strengthening the state’s strategic autonomy by attracting investment and technology, enhancing national security, and reducing dependence on financial and humanitarian assistance. In this context, Nigeria views BRICS primarily as an instrument of economic development, diversification of international partnerships, and strengthening of its bargaining position in the international arena. This makes it possible to reduce the risks of unilateral dependence, while its partner status should not be interpreted as a direct political challenge to Nigeria’s traditional Western partners. In order to identify the distinctive features of Nigeria’s foreign policy, the analysis covers and compares two areas of its cooperation with BRICS and Western countries: economic cooperation and elements of “soft power.” The latter are examined through the example of Nigerians’ migration preferences; the comparative attractiveness of different countries’ educational systems and opportunities for transition from education to employment; and the role of the diaspora and its remittances. The economic dimension is illustrated through an analysis of foreign trade statistics, in particular the problem of dependence on oil exports and petroleum product imports, debt structure, and investment inflows. The article concludes that partnership with BRICS enables Abuja to expand its room for maneuver in foreign policy while maintaining pragmatic ties with the West.

Keywords:

Africa, Nigeria, foreign policy, sovereignty, BRICS, Global South, balancing, bandwagoning

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For citation:

Andreeva T.A., Sukhova D.M. (2026). Between the Global South and the North: Nigeria’s “Soft Balancing” through BRICS. Journal of the Institute for African Studies. Vol. 12. № 2. Pp. 42–58. https://doi.org/10.31132/2412-5717-2026-75-2-42-58

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