THE NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT (NEPAD): INITIATIVES AND CHALLENGES

The 37th summit of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) now African Union (AU) held in July, 2001 formally adopted the New Partnership for Africa’s Development strategic framework development to develop an integrated socio-economic development framework that would guarantee Africa’s renewal. The NEPAD founding document makes it very clear that it is national government and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) that must drive the socio-economic renewal agenda. It embodied the principle of no peace without development and no development without peace, that is, if there is no development in a continent, there could be no peace and a continent cannot witness development without relative peace in the continent. NEPAD’s development strategy made security a priority. The writer relies on published and unpublished materials like text books, articles in journals, Newspapers, Charters/Acts of some National and International Organisations, Constitutions of some African countries and internet facilities. NEPAD subsequent evolution however revealed a serious disconnection between its focus on development and its peace and security. It is on this backdrop that this paper traced the several developmental plans couched out by various African leaders that eventually manifested into the present day “The New Partnership for Africa’s development.” The paper further examined the long term, short and medium term objectives of NEPAD and mechanisms through which these objectives could be enhanced. Effort is equally made to discuss the concept of development, achievements and failure of NEPAD in area of Sustainable development, challenges of development in Africa and ways of accomplishing development through the programmes.