Nigeria: Yar’adua must rekindle NEPAD

This research paper argues that Nigeria's implementation of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), an offshoot of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), has been marred by government manipulation, poor planning, and a lack of genuine civil society involvement. The author suggests that the transition to President Yar’adua's administration provides an opportunity to restore the process's credibility by decoupling the finalization of the Country Self-Assessment Report (CSAR) and the Programme of Action (PoA) from government control.

• The Nigerian implementation of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) suffered from inadequate planning, specifically failing to account for the timing of national elections. Although a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in March 2004, the Secretariat did not complete the self-assessment before the April 2007 elections.
• The APRM process in Nigeria lacked transparency and genuine consultation, with the government dominating the proceedings. The National Working Committee (NWC) was led by a close confidant of former President Obasanjo and reported to a Focal Point in the President's office, which increased the potential for government influence. Furthermore, many civil society groups on the NWC were perceived as being dependent on or aligned with the government.
• Civil society participation in the creation of the Country Self-Assessment Report (CSAR) and the subsequent validation workshops was limited. Some organizations boycotted the process or were excluded, and the full draft text of the CSAR was not circulated. This lack of inclusivity extends to the Programme of Action (PoA), which the author suggests may fail to address pressing governance issues because only selected, government-aligned NGOs attended the workshops.
• The author recommends that the new presidency use the transition period to restore the APRM's credibility. This should involve ensuring that the editing of the CSAR is not handled by the government or pro-government organizations and expanding the invitation to a broader range of civil society organizations to contribute to the PoA, even if it results in a six-month delay.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2008). Nigeria: Yar’adua must rekindle NEPAD. https://saiia.org.za/research/nigeria-yaradua-must-rekindle-nepad/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Nigeria: Yar’adua must rekindle NEPAD. 2008. https://saiia.org.za/research/nigeria-yaradua-must-rekindle-nepad/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Nigeria: Yar’adua must rekindle NEPAD |date=29 April 2008 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/nigeria-yaradua-must-rekindle-nepad/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2008nigeria, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Nigeria: Yar’adua must rekindle NEPAD}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2008}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/nigeria-yaradua-must-rekindle-nepad/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }