Olajumoke “Jumo” Ayandele, PhD, an Adjunct Professor and Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Global Affairs, as well as a Postdoctoral Fellow for NYU’s Center for the Study of Africa and the African Diaspora (CSAAD), collaborated with Dr. Yvan Ilunga, Assistant Professor from Salve Regina University, on “African Wars in the 21st Century: Economic and Security Determinants for a Stable Continent.” This virtual forum, which took place on April 14th, 2023, aimed to shed light on a range of critical topics including informal African economies, transnational characteristics, indigenous economic and security practices, and the growing role of the private sector. The forum provided a platform for in-depth discussions and insights into the complex dynamics shaping Africa’s economic and security landscape in the 21st century.
Following the forum, on August 16th, 2023, Dr. Ayandele and Dr. Ilunga released a comprehensive report that “aims to provide a forward-looking perspective by discussing the presentations from each workshop session, identifying current and emerging trends, related to security and development in Africa, as well as opportunities for local, state, and regional actors to collaborate and be accountable in reimagining regional security and economic development.”