On Tuesday, Sept. 30, it was announced that Nigeria has been chosen to host the permanent office of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (WBA), “an independent business-focused initiative under the broader BRICS umbrella.” This came about after two days of “closed-door meetings” with a five-person team from the Russian WBA in Abuja.
“This was our first meeting here in Nigeria,” Anna Nestrova, head of the Russian WBA told the press. “We need to be smart about this new region for our business needs. Nigeria is a promising market, and we see great potential in working with local partners.” According to the announcement on the WBA website, a central topic under discussion was “developing the health care system in Nigeria,” including providing of medications by Russian VELPHARM, and Third Option AI (both companies being led by women) providing AI capability for Nigeria’s hospitals.
Although no specifics were given, Nestrova did reveal that the Abuja office is intended to be a regional office, with the WBA members effectively acting as ambassadors for the BRICS in western Africa. While she was not present, Nigeria’s First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu has reportedly endorsed the WBA’s efforts.
The BRICS WBA dates from 2017, as an initiative of the Russian delegation.
