Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUJA2133
2003-12-12 12:29:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abuja
Cable title:
NIGERIA ESTABLISHES NEPAD COUNTRY REPORT MECHANISM
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. 121229Z Dec 03
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 002133
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2013
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM ECON NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA ESTABLISHES NEPAD COUNTRY REPORT MECHANISM
REF: ABUJA 739
CLASSIFIED BY COUNSELOR JAMES MAXSTADT FOR REASONS 1.5 B AND
D.
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 002133
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2013
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM ECON NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA ESTABLISHES NEPAD COUNTRY REPORT MECHANISM
REF: ABUJA 739
CLASSIFIED BY COUNSELOR JAMES MAXSTADT FOR REASONS 1.5 B AND
D.
1. (C) On November 14 President Obasanjo inaugurated
Nigeria's Country Review team, the first step for countries
that have acceded to the African Union's NEPAD peer review
process. The team, made up wholly of Obasanjo supporters,
was enjoined to submit a report on Nigeria's compliance with
NEPAD precepts on good governance, transparency, and economic
democracy. After the report is formally submitted by the GON
to the Eminent Persons panel (comprised of two members each
from West Africa and Southern Africa, and one each from East
Africa and Central Africa),they will conduct the "peer
review." The Chairperson of the Eminent Persons panel,
Marie-Angelique Savana from Senegal, attended the Nigerian
Country Review team's inauguration ceremony.
2. (C) According to one of the President's Special Advisors,
the Country Review team would be functioning "in name only."
He averred that a speechwriter in the Presidency has already
drafted the report, and the Country Review team will wait a
short period before submitting it. The team was offered no
guidelines by the GON or NEPAD's Secretariat other than the
vague categories agreed upon by the various African nations
that have acceded to the process.
3. (C) Comment: While the theory behind NEPAD,s peer review
mechanism was sound, its implementation may fall short.
Without detailed guidelines for the report, nor participation
from independent representatives of Nigeria's political,
economic and civil society organizations, it is unclear how
Nigeria's Country Review team can produce a real and
comprehensive review report. It is also unclear what the
Eminent Persons panel should or will do if the Nigeria report
it receives is blatantly unreal, especially as its
Chairperson has already attended the Nigerian process to
produce it.
MEECE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2013
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM ECON NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA ESTABLISHES NEPAD COUNTRY REPORT MECHANISM
REF: ABUJA 739
CLASSIFIED BY COUNSELOR JAMES MAXSTADT FOR REASONS 1.5 B AND
D.
1. (C) On November 14 President Obasanjo inaugurated
Nigeria's Country Review team, the first step for countries
that have acceded to the African Union's NEPAD peer review
process. The team, made up wholly of Obasanjo supporters,
was enjoined to submit a report on Nigeria's compliance with
NEPAD precepts on good governance, transparency, and economic
democracy. After the report is formally submitted by the GON
to the Eminent Persons panel (comprised of two members each
from West Africa and Southern Africa, and one each from East
Africa and Central Africa),they will conduct the "peer
review." The Chairperson of the Eminent Persons panel,
Marie-Angelique Savana from Senegal, attended the Nigerian
Country Review team's inauguration ceremony.
2. (C) According to one of the President's Special Advisors,
the Country Review team would be functioning "in name only."
He averred that a speechwriter in the Presidency has already
drafted the report, and the Country Review team will wait a
short period before submitting it. The team was offered no
guidelines by the GON or NEPAD's Secretariat other than the
vague categories agreed upon by the various African nations
that have acceded to the process.
3. (C) Comment: While the theory behind NEPAD,s peer review
mechanism was sound, its implementation may fall short.
Without detailed guidelines for the report, nor participation
from independent representatives of Nigeria's political,
economic and civil society organizations, it is unclear how
Nigeria's Country Review team can produce a real and
comprehensive review report. It is also unclear what the
Eminent Persons panel should or will do if the Nigeria report
it receives is blatantly unreal, especially as its
Chairperson has already attended the Nigerian process to
produce it.
MEECE