Newly launched International Security Conference on Africa (ISCA) has appointed a former deputy governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Kingsley Moghalu, on its board of directors.
The appointment of Moghalu, a renowned political economist, on the board of ISCA underscores Nigeria’s place at the forefront of a rising continental movement for African-led security policy.
According to National Daily newspaper, the announcement was made at the inaugural ISCA conference held in Kigali, Rwanda early this week.
With the appointment, Moghalu, who currently serves as president of the African School of Governance (ASG), joined a distinguished team of continental leaders on the ISCA board chaired by Clotilde Mbaranga Gasarabwe, a former assistant secretary-general for security services at the United Nations.
Other board members include: Lt. Gen. Balla Keita, a former force commander of the UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA); Frederick Golooba-Mutebi, former executive director of the Makerere Institute for Social Research, Uganda; Dr Richard Sezibera, former Rwandan minister of foreign affairs; Lt. Gen. Frank Kamanzi, a former UN force commander in South Sudan and ISCA’s executive secretary
The establishment of ISCA represents a major step towards building African-led solutions to the continent’s security challenges, and Moghalu’s inclusion signals the organisation’s intent to involve thought leaders with both continental and global policy experience.
The presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party in the 2019 general election was a panelist at the conference and delivered a stirring message during a session titled “Critical Raw Materials and Supply Chain Warfare.”
He stressed the imperative for Africa to take ownership of its vast mineral wealth and use it to strengthen its geopolitical influence.
“We must control our critical minerals and use them to demand a place at the table,” Moghalu told the high-level audience of security experts, diplomats, and scholars, “Nobody will give you a place you haven’t earned simply out of the milk of human kindness or any sense of justice.”
His remarks emphasised the growing consensus among African leaders and intellectuals that true continental security cannot be achieved without economic sovereignty over strategic assets, particularly critical raw materials such as cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements.
Moghalu shared the panel with global figures such as: Dr. Donald Kaberuka, former President of the African Development Bank; Dr. Lassina Zerbo, Chair of the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board and former Prime Minister of Burkina Faso; Dr. Andrew Maslov, Director of the Center for African Studies at HSE University, Moscow.
The ISCA conference drew participation from across the globe, underscoring the global interest in Africa’s stability and the recognition of its emerging strategic relevance. Notable speakers included: Natalie Delapalme, CEO of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation; Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary-General of La Francophonie; Martin Kimani, President and CEO of The Africa Centre (New York) and former Kenyan Ambassador to the UN; Atif Mian, Professor of Economics, Princeton University
With ISCA now headquartered in Kigali and Rwanda playing host to its first international convening, the country is positioning itself as a new hub for continental strategy on peace and stability.
The conference marked a critical juncture in Africa’s push to reclaim its narrative on security and governance.
President Paul Kagame, in his address to open the conference, underscored this sentiment, saying; “We must learn to rely on ourselves. Security is not just about armies—it is about dignity, sovereignty, and the power to shape our own narrative.”
The report said as Africa continues to face complex and evolving threats—from terrorism to resource conflict to foreign intervention—ISCA’s launch and Moghalu’s appointment highlight a growing resolve among African leaders to define a security architecture that is homegrown, assertive, and future-focused.
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