May 03, (THEWILL) – African Union Development Agency/New Partnership for African Development (AUDA-NEPAD), has finalised work on the document that will provide a guide for implementation of the outcome of Nigeria’s second African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
The National Programme of Action (NPoA) on the report was produced by delegates from across African countries, relevant private and public organisations at the end of five days capacity building workshop on harmonisation and finalisation, monitoring and evaluation framework for the implementation of the second National Programme of Action (NPoA) in Abuja.
Chief Executive Officer, AUDA-NEPAD, Princess Gloria Akobundu, in her remarks at the end of the workshop in Abuja, said she was impressed with the input of the delegates, as well as their determination to produce a document that will proffer solutions to issues of misgovernance in Nigeria.
She said: “In one of the breakout sessions, I saw and felt the depth of commitment of the delegates and I was impressed. I could see them critique different lines of the proposal with different suggestions. That was the spirit of patriotism and determination.”
Akobundu confirmed that after the Sallah break, two days will be set aside for final harmonisation of few areas of the document.
“We will ‘dot the i(s) and cross the t(s)’. Few persons from Nigeria will physically participate in meeting, while others especially from outside Nigeria would join via the zoom platform”, she said. Adding that the primary objective of NPoA is to guide and mobilise the country’s efforts in implementing needed changes to improve its state of governance and accelerate its economic development.
“Having successfully conducted the country self assessment which produced the Country Self Assessment Report and the Country Review Report (CRR), prior to the successful validation by the Country Review Mission (CRM), led by APRM Panel of Eminent Person and Continental Secretariat. Nigeria has drafted its NPoA, taking into consideration all the APRM panel of eminent person’s recommendations as well as all the overarching issues”, said Akobundu.
She appreciated the support that came from the President, Muhammadu Buhari and other stakeholders, particularly the National Institute of Security Studies (NISS), which resulted in the success of the project.
An official of the APRM continental office appreciated the AUDA-NEPAD boss for her commitment to the cause of producing reliable Country Self Assessment Report and the Country Review Report (CRR) and reassured her of the support of the Continental office of APRM to cause of producing NPoA.
He said that Africa is proud of the progress being made in the APRM as a self-monitoring tool to address governance deficit in Africa and in Nigeria, as conforming to shared values in the areas of democracy and political, economic corporate governance and socio-economic development.
Chairman, APRM Governing Council, Senator Abba Ali, who spoke earlier during the opening ceremony of the workshop commended the commitment of Princess Akobundu to the cause of the peer review process for the general benefit of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, who was represented by Adeosun Peter, said that Nigeria was set to implement the outcome of the peer review, which is the National Programme of Action.
He explained that the peer review mechanism was set to attain the pan African vision of a prosperous and integrated peaceful Africa that seeks to reckon itself within global politics, and it has recorded great milestones in providing a platform for the AU member states that have acceded to the protocol to share information, knowledge and experience as they review each other’s performance within the framework established by the institution.
“As a self-monitoring mechanism in all aspects of governance, the initiative places the people at the centre of the development discourse for the benefit of Africans in the Continent which is in line with AU Agenda 2063.
“APRM promotes best practices that will lead to sustainable economic growth, infrastructure development, political stability as well as an accelerated sub-regional and continental economic integration of the Continent”, he said.
Similarly, the representative of the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Babatunde Bernad, in his remarks, said that the government was fully committed to promoting good governance practice enshrined in the ideals and vision of the NEPAD which gave birth to the APRM.
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