Rethinking Security in the Age of Uncertain Globalisation: NEPAD and Human Security in Africa in the Twenty-First Century1

Abstract

Globalisation can hardly be said to have caused Africa’s contemporary predicaments. However, it is clear that it continues to exacerbate them by posing diverse challenges to local and global governance and security. This paper demonstrates how the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), launched in 2003 to promote security and development, may be
another hoax in Africa’s search for appropriate development models, especially given the character and fall-outs of globalisation on the continent. It raises several critical questions regarding the relevance and practicality of the vision and mandate of NEPAD vis-à-vis Africa’s innumerable security challenges. What, for instance, are the ‘new’ security challenges facing Africa in this age of globalisation, and how well equipped is NEPAD to addressing them? What are the key human security issues in Africa’s developmental complexities, distinct from or similar to existent ones on regime and/or territorial security? What are the implications of globalisation in Africa’s capacity to implement NEPAD’s visions and priorities in the areas of security and development? In conclusion, the paper reveals that there is little hope that NEPAD would serve Africa’s security needs better, whether it is now or in the future.