Africa urged to entrench Nepad in law

African governments have been asked to entrench the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) in their laws.

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said there was nothing on the ground to officially support Nepad.

Mr Obasanjo, who is one of the programme founders, called for faster integration of Nepad with the African Union (AU), saying the current relationship was affecting its operation.

The 14th Annual Summit of the AU resolved to integrate the programme into the AU.

Ever since it was set up, there has been tension over the place of Nepad in AU programmes given its origins outside the framework of the union, and the continuing dominant role of South Africa — symbolised by the location of the secretariat in the country.

“Current efforts to move the headquarters, as a semi autonomous body, to AU headquarters must be pursued,” Mr Obasanjo said.

Nepad was a merger of two plans for the economic regeneration of Africa: the Millennium Partnership for the African Recovery Programme (MAP) — led by former South Africa president Thabo Mbeki, Mr Obasanjo, and President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria — and the OMEGA Plan for Africa developed by President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal.

Endorsed plan

At a summit in Sirte, Libya, in March 2001, the Organisation of African Union (OAU) agreed that the MAP and OMEGA plans should be merged.

In July 2001, the OAU Assembly of heads of state and government meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, adopted the proposal under the name New African Initiative (NAI).

The Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee for the project finalised the policy framework and named it the New Partnership for Africa’s Development in October 2001.

Leaders of the G8 countries endorsed the plan in July 2001, while other international development partners including the European Union, China, and Japan supported the programme.

Successive AU summits and meetings have proposed greater integration of Nepad into AU’s structures and processes.

In March 2007, a meeting was held in Algeria at which the future of Nepad and its relationship with the AU was discussed by a committee of heads of state. Moving Nepad to AU headquarters will facilitate its full integration with the union, according to Mr Obasanjo.

Lack of partners’ commitment top the initiative has led Nepad’s little impact “When there is a clash between duty to their people or to the region and our demand on them, theirs takes precedence,” Mr Obasanjo told delegates in Mombasa at a presentation titled “African Renaissance: Ten Years After Dream — the Hopes and Impediment.”