About NEPAD Nigeria

This website was set up to serve as a primary gateway for interested parties wishing to know more about the NEPAD program and the role of Nigeria. The role of Nigeria is extremely important at the Continental and Global level and this section will seek to inform the reader about this role and the country’s plans moving forward. We hope you enjoy reading this section and the rest of the website and look forward to receiving your comments and welcome all Nigerians and indeed all visitors to this website to partner with NEPAD Nigeria to move this critical program forward for the sake of all of us.

Historical Background

NEPAD is a merger of the Millennium Partnership for the African Recovery Program and the Omega Plan. The merger was finalized on July 3, 2001.

Out of this merger the New African Initiative (NAI) was born

NAI was approved by the OAU Summit of Heads of State on July 11, 2001

The plan was endorsed by the leaders of the G8 on 20 July 2001 in Genoa Italy

The Heads of State Implementation Committee (HSIC) finalized the policy framework on October 23, 2001 at Abuja, Nigeria and NEPAD was formed.

Principles

African Ownership and Leadership
Anchoring the redevelopment of the continent on the resources and resourcefulness of the African people
Accelerating and deepening of regional and continental economic integration
Building the competitiveness of African countries and companies in order to give practical reality to the New Partnership for African Development and create a New Partnership with the Industrialized World

NEPAD Priorities

Conflict Resolution
Political Governance and Democracy
Economic and Corporate Governance
Human Resource Development
Regional Infrastructure
Economic Integration and Intra-Africa trade
Market Access and Agriculture
Capital Flows

The Role of Nigeria

The role of Nigeria in the development of the program is critical and the leadership of President Obasanjo in association with Presidents Mbeki, President Wade and President Boutelfika has been key at the Global and Continental level to insure that all African countries have come to the NEPAD table.

President Obasanjo is Chairman of the Global Implementation Committee of NEPAD and is also Chairman of the Heads of State Steering Committee. This singular honor done to Nigeria coupled with the fact that NEPAD was formalized at Abuja in 2001 give some indication as to the pivotal role Nigeria is expected to play in the process and of course reflects the country’s record of engagement on the continent.

Nigeria is also Chairman of the Steering Committee on Economic and Corporate Governance and the Committee on Capital Flows. Nigeria is in fact also Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Infrastructure and as such will be involved in the development of the detailed regional and trans-continental infrastructure priority projects, which it is hoped will transform Africa.

As can be seen Nigeria’s role is critical especially when you realize that the Capital Flows Committee is tasked with devising means to meet Africa’s resource gap. In simple terms this means an increase of U$D64 Billion Dollars per annum of flows into the continent. This is the minimal amount required to move the masses out of the poverty index and therefore we hope to mobilize the financial services sector in Nigeria to partner with NEPAD Nigeria on this critical aspect of the program.

NEPAD Nigeria

The Senior Special Assistant on NEPAD to the President, Chief Mrs. Chinyere Asika, heads the NEPAD Program in Nigeria. This office is currently working with partners in the private sector and civil society to develop a framework to move the program forward. At the same time the Senior Special Assistant on NEPAD has been tasked to work directly with the Secretary to Government of the Federation to design and implement a country process and structure that will enable an efficient execution of the program. The Senior Special Assistant on NEPAD has as a first step in the process of engaging Nigerians begun briefing members of the organized private sector on the NEPAD process and the role of Nigeria. Another key step commissioned from that office has been the initiative of creating this website, this was done to give all Nigerians and indeed any interested other parties an accessible gateway into the program. As the country structure evolves the office of the Senior Special Assistant on NEPAD will continue to develop partnerships with the private sector and civil society to support the NEPAD mandated principles of public-private partnership. This website will be constantly updated to reflect important policy statements and events in order to keep the general public fully engaged.

NEPAD Steering Committee

On the NEPAD Steering Committee, which was formed in October 2001, the personal representative of the Head of State of Nigeria is Ambassador Isaac Aluko-Olokun. The Ambassador is a Commissioner at the National Planning Commission with responsibility for International Relations. His role is to work at the Continental level and report back to the President of Nigeria on the progress of the Continental secretariat and the Steering Committee especially in view of Nigeria’s role, which was clearly enunciated within this document. He can be contacted at the National Planning Commission in Abuja and has developed extensive resources on the program and will be a critical part of the NEPAD Nigeria program moving forward.

Chief Mrs. Chinyere Asika
NEPAD Nigeria
Office of the Senior Special Assistant on NEPAD to the President,
Federal Republic of Nigeria
Bulet House, Garki
Abuja
Email: ssa@nepad.org.ng
Tel: 09-234-0170, 234 0733, 234 0894