Former Presidents of Nigeria and Sierra Leone join security experts at the KAIPTC for Security Roundtable.

The  KAIPTC partnered the Brenthurst Foundation to hold a one-day security dialogue to diagnose regional security challenges. The West African Security Roundtable was held on the 6^th of February 2023 at the KAIPTC.

The event which is the first of a five-country effort in the region by the Brenthurst Foundation, convened policymakers, stakeholders, and a host of regional and continental security to deliberate on security challenges facing Africa over the next generation. It explored lessons from contemporary conflicts regarding the management of security and the prospects for external cooperation and assistance

The Commandant of KAIPTC, Maj. Gen. Richard Addo Gyane giving his opening remarks at the roundtable.

Welcoming participants, Maj Gen Gyane, highlighted the complex security environment in the region, which includes cyberwarfare, authoritarianism, populism, domestic extremism, disintegration of regional alliances, trade wars, broken social contract between citizens and governments, the elections process, and pandemics. He noted that the roundtable was timely and would address these challenges and other security issues that might arise over the next generation.

H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria reiterated the security challenges  mentioned by the Commandant and pointed out the need for economic, educational, and technical opportunities to transform Africa’s increasing population growth rate into a valuable asset for regional development.  H.E. Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone on the other hand emphasized the importance of turning the recommendations from the meeting into actionable steps.

The Director of the Brenthurst Foundation, Dr. Gregory Mills, expressed the Foundation’s eagerness to form unique partnerships between business and government that would translate words into action and bring people together to recognize shared interests.

Kwesi Aning, Director of the Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research (FAAR) and Dr. Emma Birikorang, Deputy Director, FAAR

Discussions at the roundtables focused on potential security issues for Africa in the coming decades as well as internal and external strategies for maintaining peace in the West African area. The occasion served as a forum for useful discussion and the sharing of views on important security concerns affecting the region.

Please find below the link to a short video summarising the main themes of the roundtables convened in Accra, Abidjan, Dakar, Niamey and Abeokuta by the Brenthurst Foundation