Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Ghana, Thomas Kwasi Tieku, has described Africa’s security architecture as strong enough to underpin sustainable democratic governance, provided there is the political will to make it effective.
Professor Tieku made the remarks at the final conference of the Merian Institute for Advanced Studies at the University of Ghana (MIASA), which marked the end of its initial funding phase.
The three-day conference, held from June 9 to 11, 2026, at the ISSER Conference Facility, was organised on the theme, “Transitions — Past, Present and the Future of Sustainable Governance in Africa.”
The conference brought together past and present MIASA Fellows from Ghana and abroad, policymakers, researchers, development partners and selected journalists to deliberate on contemporary governance issues on the African continent.
Speaking as the keynote speaker on Day One, Professor Tieku said African governments have, since independence, invested significant resources in maintaining peace and security as a key prerequisite for sustainable development.
“As opposed to the general narrative of Africa on the global stage, enough anecdotal evidence abounds that over the years, African governments both nationally and regionally have invested significantly in preserving peace and security to underpin sustainable democratic practices on the continent,” he said.
He, however, noted concerns that some states may focus more on regime security than policies that promote the general welfare of citizens, particularly given the complex political environments across the continent.
Professor Tieku further called on African academics and researchers to guide policymakers in crafting policies that promote stronger connections between governance, peace and sustainable development institutions.
“With almost watertight and responsive security systems prioritised by African governments, that is a critical foundation for fostering sustainable governance. But there must be synergies between the building blocks of democracy, ranging from accountability mechanisms for elected public officials, strong and realistic feedback mechanisms for citizens’ concerns, strict separation of powers and other allied structures.”
He said stronger relationships among these elements of governance would help shape public policies and programmes that respond to the development needs of citizens and other stakeholders.
“That free flow of information and symbolic relationships between those elements of the governance structure goes a long way to shape public policies and programmes that must be carefully curated to meet the development needs of all stakeholders in the ecosystem overtime,” he added.
The event featured panel sessions and plenary talks focused on sustainable governance, security and resource management, with experts from all five MIASA centres across different regions of the world, as well as contributions from policymakers and invited guests.
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Story by Sika Togoh | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Erica Odeenyin Odoom
