A former presidential aspirant and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adamu Garba, has identified Nigeria’s failure to join the BRICS coalition at the right time as the greatest misstep in the first quarter of this century. In a powerful statement, Garba laments how this missed opportunity has impacted Nigeria’s economic and geopolitical standing globally.
Garba criticized Nigeria’s increasing dependence on Western loans and policies, noting that despite aligning itself with Western interests, the country has faced mounting hostility. He cited targeted negative media campaigns against the Nigerian government and recent policy setbacks, including a looming European ban on Nigerian cocoa exports set for January 2026, allegedly under the pretext of environmental concerns such as deforestation.
Expanding on the geopolitical challenges, Garba highlighted concerning foreign policy shifts such as changed visa restrictions and the controversial move by Canada to brand Nigerian political party members as terrorists, a development he framed as contradictory coming from a nation claiming to champion global democracy.
“The older generations of Nigerian leaders failed to realize that the nostalgic Powerful West is no longer what it used to be,” Garba said, describing Europe’s current geopolitical subservience to the United States and urging Nigeria to redefine its foreign policy. He warned against clinging to Africa’s largest nation status superficially while Nigeria’s value on the international stage diminishes due to insufficient sovereignty.
Garba urged a bold recalibration of the country’s international relations, advocating for a comprehensive integration with global south alliances, including leveraging platforms such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). He emphasized that Nigeria’s future lies not in chasing short-term electoral victories but in strategic long-term planning geared toward sustainable development and true independence.
“I am, in all honesty, so worried that while we grow, we don’t develop, and worse again, we are fast losing the little potential value we parade to the World,” Garba said. He cautioned that Nigeria must take control of its destiny to avoid slipping further into political and economic marginalization.
The APC chieftain’s statement comes amid ongoing debates in Nigeria about the country's role in international affairs and how best to harness its substantial human and natural resources to gain geopolitical influence and economic resilience.