As part of his focus on Africa at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the continent can benefit from skills transfer. He said Africa’s development and empowerment of its young talent are in the interests of the entire world and proposed a ‘G20-Africa Skills Multiplier Initiative’. This can operate under a “train-the-trainers” model across various sectors, and all G20 partners can finance and support this effort, he said.“Our collective goal will be to prepare one million certified trainers in Africa over the next decade. They, in turn, will help equip millions of young people with skills. This initiative will have a powerful multiplier effect. It will strengthen local capacity and significantly contribute to Africa’s long-term development,” he said.Batting for a global healthcare response team to bring together experts from G20 countries, Modi said it will ensure swift measures in case of health emergencies and natural disasters. The speech was marked by an unabashed advocacy of what PM Modi called India’s civilisational ethos. India’s civilisational values, he said, can offer ways to reevaluate development parameters.Turning his attention to the menace of drug trafficking, the Prime Minister singled out the “rapid spread of highly lethal substances like fentanyl”. “This has emerged as a serious challenge to public health, social stability and global security. It also serves as a significant channel for financing terrorism,” Modi further said.A G20 initiative to counter this global threat can bring together various instruments relating to finance, governance and security. Only then can the drug-terror economy be effectively weakened, he said.PM Modi lauded South Africa’s presidency for making commendable progress on key areas such as skilled migration, tourism, food security, AI, digital economy, innovation and women’s empowerment, noting that historic initiatives undertaken at the New Delhi G20 Summit have been carried forward.
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