Security, Africa's Development and Agenda 2063: Contribution and Contradiction

The nobility of the objectives and aspirations of Agenda 2063 for the developmental needs of the African people is laudable. However, these aspirations towards Africa's development may be negated and threatened due to the various insecurity issues going on within the continent, such as an upsurge in radical Islamism, xenophobia, violence threatening national sovereignty, local insurgencies, and similar issues. While Agenda 2063 does not explicitly address the insecurity issues going on within the continent, they have become a core concern at the governmental and regional levels. Against this backdrop, this paper highlights the contribution of Agenda 2063 towards Africa's development while examining the inherent contradiction in its aspirations with a specific focus on Aspiration 4: "a peaceful and secure Africa". The study draws from desk-based research and document analysis of studies related to Agenda 2063 and Africa's development. It argues that Agenda 2063 should step up its efforts to combat the security issues going on in the continent, as it is a major threat to both development and the actualisation of Agenda 2063. Ultimately, the study proposes a recommendation for an equitable and secure Africa.