{
  "id": 15300792,
  "title": "Ghana must protect national interest in pursuit of BRICS membership – Hassan Ayariga",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/ghana-must-protect-national-interest-in-pursuit-of-brics-membership",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-17T22:56:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/ghana-must-protect-national-interest-in-pursuit-of-brics-membership-hassan-ayariga/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hassan Ayariga, the Founder and Leader of the All People’s Congress (APC), has cautioned Ghana against sacrificing its national interests in pursuit of BRICS membership. In a press statement on October 17, 2026, Ayariga emphasized that any partnerships with BRICS countries must prioritize Ghana’s national sovereignty, constitutional governance, and democratic accountability. He cautioned against repeating past mistakes of economic dependency and foreign control over strategic resources.\n\nAyariga argued that Ghana must not exchange one form of dependency for another. Instead, BRICS membership should deliver tangible benefits for Ghanaian citizens and businesses. He stressed that the country's gold, oil, minerals, agricultural resources, and strategic infrastructure should be managed in ways that support national development, not just economic gains. Ayariga criticized the export of raw materials without local processing, urging Ghana to strengthen its industrial capacity and retain more value from its natural resources.\n\nThe APC leader called for clear guidelines on the terms and implications of potential BRICS membership, questioning the economic and diplomatic obligations, level of influence, and practical benefits for ordinary Ghanaians. He questioned whether Ghana would gain more from full membership or lesser involvement as a partner country. Ayariga also demanded an explanation of how the partnership would specifically benefit farmers, traders, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and other businesses.\n\nThe government announced its intent to pursue BRICS membership on October 6, 2026, with Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa confirming Cabinet approval for a formal application to join the bloc. The government highlighted BRICS membership as a means to diversify Ghana's international partnerships and create opportunities for trade, investment, and economic cooperation.",
  "summary": "The Founder and Leader of the All People’s Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga, has cautioned Ghana against exchanging one form of economic dependency for another as the government pursues membership of the BRICS economic bloc. In a press statement issued on Saturday, October 17, 2026, Ayariga said he was not opposed to Ghana establishing strategic relationships with BRICS countries but insisted that…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Trump deals with Putin, so why should Ghana fear BRICS? – Ablakwa asks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/trump-deals-with-putin-so-why-should-ghana-fear-brics-ablakwa-asks",
        "published": "2026-10-17T18:02:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Adom Online",
        "title": "Trump deals with Putin, so why should Ghana fear BRICS? – Ablakwa asks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/trump-deals-with-putin-so-why-should-ghana-fear-brics-ablakwa-asks-15267150",
        "published": "2026-10-17T19:49:47.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}