BY: Dr. Hana Saada
Algiers, Algeria | April 22nd, 2025 — The Ahmed Draïa University of Adrar officially launches today a major international hybrid conference under the theme “NEPAD and Algeria: A Strategic Partnership Shaping Africa’s Development and Continental Transformation.” Held over two days, April 23–24, the event brings together a distinguished array of academics, experts, and policymakers from Algeria and across Africa and the Arab world, in a bold initiative to examine the prospects and challenges facing African development and Algeria’s pivotal role in driving continental progress.
Organized by the Faculty of Law and Political Science in collaboration with the Laboratory of Law and Local Development, the conference offers a rigorous intellectual platform to explore the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), a flagship African Union program aimed at eradicating poverty, promoting sustainable growth, and enhancing regional integration. In the context of escalating development, governance, and security challenges across Africa, the conference interrogates Algeria’s contributions and future prospects within this pan-African framework.
The scientific program features high-level thematic sessions and specialized workshops addressing core questions around NEPAD’s origins, objectives, institutional transformations, and its mechanisms for promoting good governance, anti-corruption, and regional cohesion. Key sessions will also delve into Algeria’s role in supporting African unity, resisting foreign interference, advancing food and water security, and spearheading sustainable investment initiatives across the continent, particularly in the Sahel region.
One of the headline speeches, “Collective Action in Africa: Between Theoretical Frameworks and Practical Realities”, will be delivered by Prof. Hussein Bougara of Algiers 3 University. Other significant contributions include “NEPAD: Origins and Objectives” by Dr. Mohamed Dahi Sheikh Weld from Mauritania, and “Algeria’s Role in Pan-African Cohesion Amid Foreign Interventions – A Case Study on NEPAD” by Dr. Redouane Bouheddel.
The conference also highlights critical issues such as “Disaster Risk Governance in the NEPAD Framework” and “The Strategic Importance of Water Resources in NEPAD’s Agenda”, reflecting a deep engagement with the structural vulnerabilities and untapped opportunities in African states.
With participants and interventions from Egypt, Mauritania, Iraq, Sudan, and other nations, the event affirms the global and interdisciplinary scope of the debate around Africa’s future. Through this gathering, Ahmed Draïa University seeks to foster meaningful academic dialogue, formulate actionable recommendations for national and continental policymakers, and promote collaborative research networks among African universities.
The conference will conclude with a closing scientific session where participants will present key recommendations, followed by acknowledgments and the awarding of participation certificates — reinforcing the importance of collective academic commitment to African development.
This international forum marks a strategic milestone in reimagining Algeria’s leadership as a driving force in Africa’s developmental renaissance. In an era marked by mounting geopolitical, environmental, and economic challenges, the call for African unity and self-defined growth strategies has never been more urgent — and Algeria, through initiatives like this, continues to reaffirm its enduring commitment to Africa’s shared destiny.
