Africa’s future—both in terms of opportunities and challenges—is tied to the maritime space which surrounds it. The vast African maritime domain contains immense resources that, when fully tapped, will provide African societies with significant additional resources to strengthen their ongoing development efforts, including food and energy security. Development is, in turn, an essential foundation for stability and sustainable peace on the continent. This process of development is all but impossible to achieve in the absence of security—both on land and offshore.
This document is intended as a planning toolkit for policymakers and practitioners as they navigate the process of developing maritime national security strategies in Africa. Compiled by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies in 2016, the toolkit reflects the contributions and experiences of dozens of African maritime security professionals who have undertaken maritime security strategy planning processes.
