Time to rethink Nepad

The author argues that Nepad has largely failed to deliver on its promises due to an over-reliance on donor persuasion and a lack of operational capacity to change national policies. While sectoral strategies and infrastructure projects are criticized as too general or unbankable, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is identified as the most innovative and potentially effective tool for driving reform. The paper recommends that the Nepad Secretariat transform from a conference convenor into a high-powered research organization to support the APRM.

• Nepad's initial premise—that African governance reforms would be met with increased aid, debt relief, and market access from developed nations—was rejected by G8 members at the 2002 Kananaskis summit, who insisted that Africa must first deliver on governance pledges.
• The Nepad Secretariat has focused excessively on persuading donors and international bodies, neglecting the development of robust mechanisms to change the behavior and direction of African government policy.
• Nepad's sectoral strategies and flagship infrastructure projects are criticized for lacking innovation, feasibility, and 'bankability,' often relying on regional economic groupings like the Southern African Development Community that lack the capacity for implementation.
• The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is the most significant and innovative Nepad initiative, designed to use expert panels and civil society to secure time-bound government commitments across political, economic, corporate, and socio-economic policy areas.
• The APRM is currently hindered by staffing shortages, with only about half of its 20 intended positions filled, despite 23 countries being scheduled for review by 2007.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2004). Time to rethink Nepad. https://saiia.org.za/research/time-to-rethink-nepad/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Time to rethink Nepad. 2004. https://saiia.org.za/research/time-to-rethink-nepad/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Time to rethink Nepad |date=26 September 2004 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/time-to-rethink-nepad/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2004time, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Time to rethink Nepad}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2004}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/time-to-rethink-nepad/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }