•Photo (L-R) : Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva , welcome Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, to the summit.

President Bola Tinubu said that Nigeria strongly believes in the South-South cooperation, and supports the BRICS position on the need to focus on collective, fair, and equitable global development.

Nigeria officially became the ninth partner country of BRICS in January 2025.

President Tinubu , in his address during the 17th meeting of the Global South and the Emerging Economies bloc, BRICS, on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, said :

” 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.

“President Bola Tinubu also called for a reevaluation of the current global governance structure and the financial and healthcare systems, urging greater equity and inclusion for low-income and emerging economies, particularly in Africa.

President Tinubu stated that environmental degradation, the climate crisis, and healthcare inequalities should receive more attention, as they contribute to slowing growth and development.

“Nigeria, therefore, associates with what I have heard today and all that has happened in BRICS.

“As we approach COP-30 and look to strengthen the global health system, we believe the BRICS must not only be a bloc for emerging economies but also a beacon for emerging solutions and resolutions rooted in solidarity, self-reliance, sustainability, and shared prosperity of a common future.”

Meanwhile, other BRICS partner countries include: Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.

The 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan in October 2024 created the partner-country category.

These countries participate in BRICS activities, benefiting from cooperation in areas like trade, investment, and technology.

The partner country category was introduced during the 2024 BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, allowing nations to engage with BRICS without committing to full membership.

BRICS is an acronym that stands for Brazil , Russia , India , China and South Africa.

BRICS is a grouping of these five major emerging economies that cooperate on economic, political and social issues.

he Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has imposed a fine of N766,242,500 on MultiChoice Nigeria, citing violations of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act), including alleged breaches of subscriber privacy and illegal cross-border transfer of personal data.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by Babatunde Bamigboye, Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations at the Commission.

The fine followed an investigation that began in the second quarter of 2024 after concerns were raised about the company’s handling of customer information.

According to the Commission, the probe revealed that MultiChoice processed personal data of not only its subscribers but also their associates without due consent or lawful justification.

The Commission also found that MultiChoice carries out illegal cross-border transfer of personal data relating to data subjects in Nigeria,” the statement read.

“The depth of data processing by MultiChoice is patently intrusive, unfair, unnecessary, and disproportionate.”

The NDPC described the data practices as a violation of Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees the right to privacy, as well as a contravention of data sovereignty obligations under national and international law.

The Commission noted that it had previously issued standard remediation directives to the company, but found MultiChoice’s response inadequate.

“For want of cooperation, the Commission has directed MultiChoice to pay N766,242,500 for violating the Nigeria Data Protection Act,” the statement added.

The OPSN and its stakeholders have been in active dialogue with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and other critical agencies, advocating for business-friendly policies that foster enterprise growth, protect jobs, and enhance national productivity.

The Organised Private Sector Nigeria (OPSN) comprising NACCIMA, MAN, NECA, NASSI and NASME commends President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for having suspended the implementation of certain provisions of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) Act 2023, which imposed financial caps and additional compliance dues on private companies.

Engr Jani Ibrahim, the National President of NACCIMA/Chairman OPSN, expressed gratitude on behalf of the private sector business, in a statement on Thursday.

The statement reads:” This action comes as a timely relief to the organised private sector members, including the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), many of whom had expressed deep concerns about the financial and administrative burden posed by the mandatory levies and reporting obligations under the current FRC framework.

The OPSN and its stakeholders have been in active dialogue with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, and other critical agencies, advocating for business-friendly policies that foster enterprise growth, protect jobs, and enhance national productivity.

We therefore commend the efforts of the Government for this timely decision, which is a proactive and responsive measure that supports the Federal Government’s commitment to improving the ease of doing business and sustaining investor confidence.

The suspension provides a critical window for stakeholders to revisit the framework and ensure that future implementations of financial reporting obligations are transparent, equitable, and sensitive to the realities and legitimate concerns of Nigerian businesses.

The OPSN urges continued engagement between regulatory institutions and the private sector to co-create regulatory policies that drive economic growth without stifling entrepreneurship.

We remain committed to constructive dialogue and collaboration that will advance Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda.”