Permanent Secretary of Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday, 13 May 2026 to attend the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting, scheduled for 14–15 May. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) extended a formal welcome to the Nigerian diplomat, marking another high-level arrival ahead of the two-day multilateral summit.

Key Arrivals Ahead of the Meeting

In a post on social media platform X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it was "delighted to welcome Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed on his arrival in New Delhi for the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting." Earlier on the same day, Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono also arrived in New Delhi to participate in the meeting, underscoring the broad international representation expected at the summit.

India Chairs the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will chair the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting on 14 and 15 May 2026, as announced by the MEA on Tuesday. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing a weekly media briefing, confirmed that BRICS Foreign Ministers and heads of delegations from member and partner countries will participate in the meeting. Notably, all attending dignitaries will also call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their visit.

Agenda: Global Governance and BRICS at 20

According to Jaiswal, the first day will see Foreign Ministers of BRICS member countries exchange views on global and regional issues of mutual interest. On the second day, a session themed 'BRICS at 20: Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability' will be held, followed by a dedicated session on the reform of global governance and the multilateral system. The last BRICS Foreign Ministers' meeting was held on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 26 September 2025, chaired by India in its capacity as the incoming BRICS chair for 2026.

India's BRICS Chairship in 2026

India holds the BRICS chair in 2026 under the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability' — a people-centric and humanity-first approach articulated by Prime Minister Modi at the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 2025. This chairship positions India as the central convener of BRICS diplomacy for the year, with the Foreign Ministers' Meeting being a flagship event in that calendar.

BRICS: A Brief Background

The grouping was formalised at the first BRIC Foreign Ministers' meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York in 2006. The inaugural BRIC Summit was convened in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009. South Africa was included to expand BRIC into BRICS following a Foreign Ministers' meeting in New York in 2010, with South Africa attending the third BRICS Summit in 2011. The bloc has since grown into a significant platform for emerging economies to coordinate on global governance, trade, and multilateral reform.

With delegations from across the globe converging on New Delhi, all eyes will be on the outcomes of the 14–15 May meeting and whether BRICS members can forge a unified position on pressing multilateral issues.