The New Partnership for Africa’s Development

This research paper by Prince Mashele of the Institute for Security Studies evaluates the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), contrasting it with previous African socio-economic initiatives. The author argues that NEPAD differs from its predecessors through its acceptance of globalisation, its defined administrative structures, and the introduction of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to address domestic governance. While the paper notes progress in policy development and specific infrastructure and agricultural projects, it highlights significant challenges regarding implementation capacity, funding gaps, and a lack of continent-wide political ownership.

• NEPAD distinguishes itself from previous African initiatives, such as the 1980 Lagos Plan of Action and the 1991 Abuja Treaty, by accepting globalisation as a reality and calling for Africa to integrate into the global economy rather than adopting inward-looking strategies. Unlike earlier plans that attributed economic failure solely to external forces, NEPAD emphasizes that African leaders must improve domestic governance.
• The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) aims to achieve several specific socio-economic targets, including halving poverty in Africa by 2015, securing an average annual GDP growth rate of at least 7%, and increasing foreign direct investment by improving the investment climate.
• NEPAD is structured as a policy framework for engagement and monitoring rather than a direct implementation agency. Its administrative architecture includes the Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) for political leadership, a Steering Committee that determines the agenda, and a Secretariat based in Midrand, South Africa, providing coordinative support.
• The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is identified as NEPAD's most innovative feature, introducing a voluntary system of self-assessment and peer dialogue on four governance areas: democracy and political governance, economic governance and management, corporate governance, and socio-economic development.
• Implementation of NEPAD projects has been slow, with many remaining at the feasibility study stage. Notable progress includes the West Africa Gas Pipeline—with commitments exceeding USD 500 million from companies including Shell and Chevron Texaco—and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), supported by the World Bank and African Development Bank.
• Significant hurdles to NEPAD's success include a lack of technical capacity within Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and a failure of developed partners to provide the estimated US$64 billion needed to jumpstart projects. This funding gap led to proposals for African countries to use public servants' pension funds for financing.
• There is a perceived lack of collective ownership of NEPAD across the continent, with some viewing it as a project driven primarily by a small group of initiating states and specifically associated with the leadership of South African President Thabo Mbeki.

APA

Mashele, P. (2006). The New Partnership for Africa’s Development. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper125.pdf

Chicago

Mashele, Prince. The New Partnership for Africa’s Development. Institute for Security Studies, 2006. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper125.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mashele |first1=Prince |title=The New Partnership for Africa’s Development |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=March 2006 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper125.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mashele2006new, author = {Mashele, Prince}, title = {{The New Partnership for Africa’s Development}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2006}, month = mar, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/paper125.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }