Leveraging BRICS’ Expansions for Africa’s Security and Development: A Dependency Perspective

Adeyeye Samuel Nifemi

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13

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Leveraging BRICS’ Expansions for Africa’s Security and Development: A Dependency Perspective

Adeyeye Samuel Nifemi^*

Published in International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment (Volume 11, Issue 5)

Received: 26 February 2026 Accepted: 12 October 2026 Published: 28 October 2026

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Abstract

This study examines the opportunities and challenges that BRICS expansion presents for Africa’s security and development. It adopts Dependency Theory as its analytical framework and uses qualitative documentary research based on scholarly literature, official BRICS documents, development-finance reports, and publications of international and regional institutions. The study employs qualitative content analysis to identify recurring patterns concerning development finance, economic diversification, security cooperation, power asymmetry, and dependency. The analysis produces three principal findings. First, expanded BRICS engagement can broaden Africa’s external economic options through additional sources of infrastructure finance, investment, technology cooperation, and South-South economic relations. Second, BRICS provides channels for political and security dialogue, including cooperation on counter-terrorism and peace and security, while individual BRICS members such as China have contributed to African peacekeeping capacity. Third, expansion does not automatically remove structural dependency: unequal bargaining power, commodity-oriented trade, divergent interests among BRICS members, and geopolitical competition may reproduce or diversify existing forms of dependency. The study therefore argues that the developmental value of BRICS engagement depends less on alignment with the bloc itself than on African agency, institutional capacity, value addition, and coordinated bargaining. It recommends an African Union-supported framework for articulating common interests, stronger scrutiny of financing arrangements, promotion of local industrial capacity, and a pragmatic foreign policy that preserves diversified external partnerships.

Published in	International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment (Volume 11, Issue 5)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13
Page(s)	140-145
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

BRICS, Africa, Development, South-South Cooperation, Security

References

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Nifemi, A. S. (2026). Leveraging BRICS’ Expansions for Africa’s Security and Development: A Dependency Perspective. International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment, 11(5), 140-145. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13

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ACS Style

Nifemi, A. S. Leveraging BRICS’ Expansions for Africa’s Security and Development: A Dependency Perspective. Int. J. Econ. Energy Environ. 2026, 11(5), 140-145. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13

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AMA Style

Nifemi AS. Leveraging BRICS’ Expansions for Africa’s Security and Development: A Dependency Perspective. Int J Econ Energy Environ. 2026;11(5):140-145. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13

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@article{10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13,
  author = {Adeyeye Samuel Nifemi},
  title = {Leveraging BRICS’ Expansions for Africa’s Security and Development: A Dependency Perspective},
  journal = {International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment},
  volume = {11},
  number = {5},
  pages = {140-145},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijeee.20261105.13},
  abstract = {This study examines the opportunities and challenges that BRICS expansion presents for Africa’s security and development. It adopts Dependency Theory as its analytical framework and uses qualitative documentary research based on scholarly literature, official BRICS documents, development-finance reports, and publications of international and regional institutions. The study employs qualitative content analysis to identify recurring patterns concerning development finance, economic diversification, security cooperation, power asymmetry, and dependency. The analysis produces three principal findings. First, expanded BRICS engagement can broaden Africa’s external economic options through additional sources of infrastructure finance, investment, technology cooperation, and South-South economic relations. Second, BRICS provides channels for political and security dialogue, including cooperation on counter-terrorism and peace and security, while individual BRICS members such as China have contributed to African peacekeeping capacity. Third, expansion does not automatically remove structural dependency: unequal bargaining power, commodity-oriented trade, divergent interests among BRICS members, and geopolitical competition may reproduce or diversify existing forms of dependency. The study therefore argues that the developmental value of BRICS engagement depends less on alignment with the bloc itself than on African agency, institutional capacity, value addition, and coordinated bargaining. It recommends an African Union-supported framework for articulating common interests, stronger scrutiny of financing arrangements, promotion of local industrial capacity, and a pragmatic foreign policy that preserves diversified external partnerships.},
 year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Leveraging BRICS’ Expansions for Africa’s Security and Development: A Dependency Perspective
AU  - Adeyeye Samuel Nifemi
Y1  - 2026/10/28
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13
T2  - International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment
JF  - International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment
JO  - International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment
SP  - 140
EP  - 145
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-5021
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13
AB  - This study examines the opportunities and challenges that BRICS expansion presents for Africa’s security and development. It adopts Dependency Theory as its analytical framework and uses qualitative documentary research based on scholarly literature, official BRICS documents, development-finance reports, and publications of international and regional institutions. The study employs qualitative content analysis to identify recurring patterns concerning development finance, economic diversification, security cooperation, power asymmetry, and dependency. The analysis produces three principal findings. First, expanded BRICS engagement can broaden Africa’s external economic options through additional sources of infrastructure finance, investment, technology cooperation, and South-South economic relations. Second, BRICS provides channels for political and security dialogue, including cooperation on counter-terrorism and peace and security, while individual BRICS members such as China have contributed to African peacekeeping capacity. Third, expansion does not automatically remove structural dependency: unequal bargaining power, commodity-oriented trade, divergent interests among BRICS members, and geopolitical competition may reproduce or diversify existing forms of dependency. The study therefore argues that the developmental value of BRICS engagement depends less on alignment with the bloc itself than on African agency, institutional capacity, value addition, and coordinated bargaining. It recommends an African Union-supported framework for articulating common interests, stronger scrutiny of financing arrangements, promotion of local industrial capacity, and a pragmatic foreign policy that preserves diversified external partnerships.
VL  - 11
IS  - 5
ER  -

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Author Information

Adeyeye Samuel Nifemi

Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Nigeria

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0008-8359-2027

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APA Style

Nifemi, A. S. (2026). Leveraging BRICS’ Expansions for Africa’s Security and Development: A Dependency Perspective. International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment, 11(5), 140-145. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13

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ACS Style

Nifemi, A. S. Leveraging BRICS’ Expansions for Africa’s Security and Development: A Dependency Perspective. Int. J. Econ. Energy Environ. 2026, 11(5), 140-145. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13

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AMA Style

Nifemi AS. Leveraging BRICS’ Expansions for Africa’s Security and Development: A Dependency Perspective. Int J Econ Energy Environ. 2026;11(5):140-145. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13

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@article{10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13,
  author = {Adeyeye Samuel Nifemi},
  title = {Leveraging BRICS’ Expansions for Africa’s Security and Development: A Dependency Perspective},
  journal = {International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment},
  volume = {11},
  number = {5},
  pages = {140-145},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijeee.20261105.13},
  abstract = {This study examines the opportunities and challenges that BRICS expansion presents for Africa’s security and development. It adopts Dependency Theory as its analytical framework and uses qualitative documentary research based on scholarly literature, official BRICS documents, development-finance reports, and publications of international and regional institutions. The study employs qualitative content analysis to identify recurring patterns concerning development finance, economic diversification, security cooperation, power asymmetry, and dependency. The analysis produces three principal findings. First, expanded BRICS engagement can broaden Africa’s external economic options through additional sources of infrastructure finance, investment, technology cooperation, and South-South economic relations. Second, BRICS provides channels for political and security dialogue, including cooperation on counter-terrorism and peace and security, while individual BRICS members such as China have contributed to African peacekeeping capacity. Third, expansion does not automatically remove structural dependency: unequal bargaining power, commodity-oriented trade, divergent interests among BRICS members, and geopolitical competition may reproduce or diversify existing forms of dependency. The study therefore argues that the developmental value of BRICS engagement depends less on alignment with the bloc itself than on African agency, institutional capacity, value addition, and coordinated bargaining. It recommends an African Union-supported framework for articulating common interests, stronger scrutiny of financing arrangements, promotion of local industrial capacity, and a pragmatic foreign policy that preserves diversified external partnerships.},
 year = {2026}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Leveraging BRICS’ Expansions for Africa’s Security and Development: A Dependency Perspective
AU  - Adeyeye Samuel Nifemi
Y1  - 2026/10/28
PY  - 2026
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13
T2  - International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment
JF  - International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment
JO  - International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment
SP  - 140
EP  - 145
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-5021
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeee.20261105.13
AB  - This study examines the opportunities and challenges that BRICS expansion presents for Africa’s security and development. It adopts Dependency Theory as its analytical framework and uses qualitative documentary research based on scholarly literature, official BRICS documents, development-finance reports, and publications of international and regional institutions. The study employs qualitative content analysis to identify recurring patterns concerning development finance, economic diversification, security cooperation, power asymmetry, and dependency. The analysis produces three principal findings. First, expanded BRICS engagement can broaden Africa’s external economic options through additional sources of infrastructure finance, investment, technology cooperation, and South-South economic relations. Second, BRICS provides channels for political and security dialogue, including cooperation on counter-terrorism and peace and security, while individual BRICS members such as China have contributed to African peacekeeping capacity. Third, expansion does not automatically remove structural dependency: unequal bargaining power, commodity-oriented trade, divergent interests among BRICS members, and geopolitical competition may reproduce or diversify existing forms of dependency. The study therefore argues that the developmental value of BRICS engagement depends less on alignment with the bloc itself than on African agency, institutional capacity, value addition, and coordinated bargaining. It recommends an African Union-supported framework for articulating common interests, stronger scrutiny of financing arrangements, promotion of local industrial capacity, and a pragmatic foreign policy that preserves diversified external partnerships.
VL  - 11
IS  - 5
ER  -

Copy | Download