Part I- Ghana and BRICS: Strategic optionality or an expensive signal?

It is a consensus club with two tiers. BRICS now lists 11 members: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, plus Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Indonesia, with Saudi Arabia invited but not publicly confirmed. A separate partner tier, created in 2024, includes Nigeria and Uganda from Africa, along with Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Partners join selected activities but do not take part in the most consequential decisions. Egypt, Ethiopia and South Africa are the only African full members, and West Africa has none, so Ghana would be the first.