India's External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, currently on a tour in Nigeria, remarked on the weaponization of globalization by dominant players. He emphasized that aspects such as currency, trade, and tourism are now wielded as tools of dominance on the global stage. While acknowledging the positive aspects of globalization, Minister Jaishankar highlighted the challenges arising from its weaponization, where dominant players leverage their market shares for specific national objectives.
Addressing the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Lagos, Jaishankar noted the shift in global dynamics, with currency, trade, and tourism being used strategically by powerful nations. He pointed out that the current world order, established in 1945, hasn't evolved proportionally to the increased membership of the United Nations, posing challenges to a more inclusive system. The minister underscored the collective objective of restoring the world to its natural diversity, disrupted by a period of Western domination. He identified post-colonial challenges in building nations and societies while emphasizing the importance of the Global South. According to Jaishankar, the Global South represents a mindset, solidarity, and self-reliance, and he stressed that planetary progress is contingent on its advancement.
During his two-nation tour to Uganda and Nigeria, Jaishankar participated in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Uganda and co-chaired the 6th Joint Commission Meeting between India and Nigeria. The global conversation, he noted, is currently centered on advancing the Global South for overall planetary progress.