Author(s) :

Sulaiman Saidu Abubakar.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

The return of Donald Trump to the US presidency in 2025 has deepened fractures in the post–World War II global governance system, creating profound uncertainties for the Global South. While BRICS+ has emerged as a pivotal coalition reshaping international economic and political relations, Africa’s positioning within this evolving landscape remains under-examined. The core problem this study addresses is how African states can pursue strategic autonomy and sustainable development when the established liberal order is in retreat and BRICS+ offers both opportunities and risks. The study analysed Africa’s engagement with BRICS+ in the context of US disruption of multilateral institutions under Trump 2.0, specifically examining the viability of BRICS+ as an alternative platform for African participation in global governance and the strategies African countries use to balance agency between competing powers to avoid dependency traps. Methodologically, the study adopted a qualitative research design, combining discourse analysis of official communiqués and policy statements with case studies of Nigeria, South Africa, and Ethiopia. These were evaluated using indicators such as trade alignment, institutional hedging, and policy autonomy, supported by secondary data on trade, FDI, and governance frameworks. The study found that while BRICS+ enhances Africa’s bargaining power and policy space, challenges of asymmetry, debt, and geopolitical rivalry undermine its potential benefits. It argues that Africa’s strategic autonomy depends on recalibrating engagement with both BRICS+ and Western institutions. Ultimately, this study contributes to debates on multipolarity, dependency theory, and African agency, offering insights for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners navigating an unstable global order. Keywords: Africa, BRICS+, Trump 2.0, global governance, strategic autonomy.

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