We need people-centered approach to trade, security in Africa, says Ford Foundation W’Africa regional director

Published in The Guardian Nigeria

By Ajibola Tomiwa

The West Africa Regional Director for Ford Foundation, Dr. ChiChi Aniagolu-Okoye, has called for a people-centered approach in dealing with security and trade issues on the African continent.

“Regional entities must use a people-centered approach to security cooperation. This includes sustained engagements and consultations with border communities to understand and address cross border threats,” she noted.

She pointed out that this approach is critical because “a lot of intra-African trade is by land and the insecurity along these routes threatens economic viability. Finding alternative routes causes delays in delivery, leads to price hikes and opens the door for exploitation at the borders.”

Aniagolu-Okoye was speaking as a lead panelist at a session on Security and Intra-Africa Trade at the just-ended African Prosperity Dialogues, held in the Eastern Region of Ghana.

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