As Africa's economies expand and become more technologically advanced, governments face a growing challenge: protecting the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) materials used in healthcare, industry, research and mining from theft, diversion or misuse.
For decades, security discussions on the continent focused largely on armed groups, “terrorism” and conflict. But as healthcare systems expand, mining grows and trade accelerates, governments are managing increasing quantities of sensitive CBRN materials essential to development.
“The same materials that strengthen healthcare, scientific research, mining and industry can also become security risks if poorly managed,” Mubarak Aliyu, a Nigeria-based political and security risk analyst, told Al Jazeera. “The challenge is not to restrict development, but to ensure that innovation is matched by effective oversight, secure handling practices and robust regulatory systems.”
Held July 14-16 in Tunis, Tunisia, the Africa Shield 2026 Regional Counterproliferation Workshop brought together more than 100 participants from across Africa, including law enforcement officials, military representatives, policymakers and national coordinators responsible for implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1540.
The workshop was led by the International Counterproliferation Program of the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), in partnership with the EU Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Centres of Excellence Risk Mitigation Initiative and the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute.
Now in its sixth edition, Africa Shield helps African governments strengthen their ability to prevent, detect and respond to CBRN risks through training, coordination and capacity building. The discussions highlighted a practical challenge: ensuring that the systems protecting these materials develop alongside the industries and services that depend on them.
Africa Shield reflects a move from responding to CBRN incidents after they occur towards preventing vulnerabilities before they are exploited. Rather than reacting only after a crisis, the program focuses on reducing risks through stronger border controls, export monitoring, emergency preparedness and closer coordination between agencies.
Major Brittany Brown, coordinator of DTRA’s Global Threat Reduction Africa Region Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction Program, said Africa Shield provides an opportunity for participating countries to “exchange expertise and lessons learned” while deepening partnerships to address increasingly complex transnational security challenges.
Tunisia’s hosting of the workshop underscored the regional nature of the challenge. Positioned between North Africa, the Mediterranean and the Sahel, the country sits at the intersection of major trade and transport routes. As those networks become more interconnected, the same corridors that facilitate commerce can also be exploited to move chemicals, radioactive sources and other controlled materials across borders.
The success of Africa Shield will depend not only on training and cooperation, but on whether governments can translate those efforts into stronger institutions and more effective enforcement. Many African countries already have legal frameworks regulating chemicals, radioactive materials and strategic trade, but implementation remains uneven.
The expansion of trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area adds another layer of complexity. Governments must strengthen security measures without undermining the trade and investment the agreement is designed to promote. Managing that balance will require governments to strengthen security systems without creating barriers that slow legitimate trade.
“Monitoring shipments, securing materials and sharing intelligence across borders are daily struggles compounded by limited resources and exploited smuggling routes,” Phil Efe Benard, country director of the African Chamber of Content Producers (ACCP) Nigeria, told Al Jazeera. “We cannot rely solely on foreign partners. Building our own intelligence, forensic capacity and regional networks is essential, ensuring partnerships are built on African capacity, not dependency.”
Ultimately, Africa Shield is about more than preventing the misuse of controlled materials. It reflects a growing recognition that economic transformation brings new security responsibilities. “One of the biggest obstacles is that CBRN security depends on consistent implementation rather than policy commitments alone,” Aliyu said. “Many countries still struggle with monitoring cross-border shipments, securing sensitive materials, enforcing regulations and sharing timely information with neighbours.”
Source: www.aljazeera.com