The African Union (AU) officially joined the G20 as a full member on Saturday, giving the continent a seat at the table of the world’s major economies.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the AU’s entry into the G20 was announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is hosting the G20 summit in New Delhi.
Modi said the move would “give African interests and perspectives voice and visibility in this important body.”
“I welcome the African Union’s entry into the G20 as full member. This membership, for which we have long been advocating, will provide a propitious framework for amplifying advocacy in favor of the Continent and its effective contribution to meeting global challenges,” he wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
The AU has 55 member states and a combined GDP of $3 trillion. It is the second-largest regional bloc in the world after the European Union.
The European Union is a member of the G-20. European countries, including France, Italy, and Germany, are all members of the bloc.
South Africa is the only African country with a single membership at the G-20.
In reaction to the inclusion of AU to the bloc, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is at the summit, posted on X, “As a continent, we look forward to further advancing our aspirations on the global stage using the G20 platform,”
Kenyan President William Ruto said the move will “give African interests and perspectives voice and visibility in this important body”.
“With Africa poised to grow in the coming years, a seat will allow it to shape the decisions of G20 to ensure the continent’s interests are advanced,” he said.
“The outcome of the just concluded Africa Climate Summit including fundamental reforms of international financial institutions and multilateral development banks is one thing that AU will advance,” he added.
