AAPRMPRM CCOUNTRYOUNTRY RREVIEWEVIEW RREPORTEPORT NONO 8 FFEDERALEDERAL RREPUBLICEPUBLIC OOFF NNIGERIAIGERIA JJuneune 22009009 APRM COUNTRY REVIEW REPORT NO. 8 COUNTRY REVIEW REPORT FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA OCTOBER 2008 FFOREWORDOREWORD Six years ago, African Heads of State and Government came up with a jointly crafted and broadly supported agenda for advancing the basic values of democracy and good governance which together constitute the key requirements for the sustainable economic growth and development of their countries. The continental agenda, designated as the ‘African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM)’, has grown from strength to strength. It gives me great pleasure to present today, the APRM Country Review Report and the National Programme of Action of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is the eighth in the series and the fi fth to be accomplished under my stewardship as Chairperson of the APR Forum. I would like to seize this opportunity to congratulate His Excellency Umaru Yar’Adua and the people of Nigeria on this great achievement. Nigeria is central to the NEPAD and APRM. It was not only one of the fi ve initiating countries of NEPAD; indeed, my immediate predecessor as Chairperson of the APR Forum, former president Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, served as Chairperson of the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee as well as the APR Forum from the inception of NEPAD in July 2001 until his departure from offi ce in May 2007. Moreover, Nigeria has been generous in fi nancing the APRM and has so far contributed USD $2,350,000 to the continental Mechanism. The successful accomplishment of the country review process once again testifi es to Nigeria’s commitment to and leadership of Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance in general, and the NEPAD/APRM initiatives in particular. This Report candidly elucidates the challenges Nigeria faces, including managing its diversity in nation-building, reducing the country’s over-dependence on oil and providing public services to its 140 million inhabitants. The Report also recognises the sound initiatives that have been taken with a view to addressing these challenges. Notably, the Federal Character principle and the Council of State initiative, which are enshrined in the country’s constitution, are already yielding tangible results in nation-building. Nigeria has also made commendable eff orts in tackling corruption through the establishment of institutions such as the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC). The Report has highlighted the remarkable leadership shown by President Yar’Adua in not only adhering to the constitutional requirements to declare his assets and liabilities before the Code of Conduct Bureau, but also going beyond the call of duty and making his declaration public. It is hoped that this example will be emulated at all levels of the public service and among ordinary citizens, for the betterment of the country. The APRM is also about identifying and disseminating best practices for peer learning and the advancement of the continent as a whole. In this context, the APRM has the mandate to promote intra-African trade and technical cooperation. It is therefore gratifying that the Report for example points out the Technical Aid Corps Programme as one of Nigeria’s major contributions to socio-ecomonic development among the African, Caribbean and Pacifi c countries. It is the sole volunteer service of its kind currently operated by an African country and therefore II worthy of emulation. Nigeria’s Technical Aid Corps Programme challenges the commonly held perception that Africa is only a recipient of aid. Nigeria shares commonality with many African countries in the governance and development-related challenges with which it is confronted. Although Africa is mostly at peace with itself, lingering fl ashpoints of confl ict, such as the recent case of Madagascar, remind all of us that there is still a lot to be done. Close to half of the African population continues to live below the poverty line - which is a higher proportional share than in any other region of the world. No wonder, our countries continue to present some of the weakest indicators of social development. Given the current trends, Africa may not meet the Millennium Development Goals. Africa may also not escape the eff ects of the ongoing economic crisis due to the importance of international trade, foreign capital infl ows, development assistance and diaspora contributions to national economies. We are convinced that the APRM will play a signifi cant role in promoting courageous reforms that are needed to bring about changes in the political and economic environments of our countries, and in the living conditions of our populations. It is gratifying to note that, to date, 29 members of the African Union are currently participating in the APRM. However, if the APRM is to make a diff erence on the continent as a whole, then there is a need for the countries that have not acceded to the Mechanism to join the fold. We have agreed that the APRM should be funded principally from African resources. I call upon my colleagues to demonstrate this commitment through regular and increased funding to the APRM. More signifi cantly, as the APRM is an agent of change and not an end in itself, countries should be supported to muster the resources and capacity required to implement the national programmes of action emanating from the assessment process. To this end partnerships from within and outside Africa are vital. I thank the APR Panel for this uniquely candid and highly insightful report that will no doubt help Nigeria further in its eff orts to address the governance-related problems that it faces. Once again, I would like to congratulate the Government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on this remarkable achievement and I look forward to receiving progress reports on the implementation of the National Programme of Action. III CCOUNTRIESOUNTRIES PPARTICIPATINGARTICIPATING IINN TTHEHE AAFRICANFRICAN PPEEREER RREVIEWEVIEW MMECHANISMECHANISM ((APRM)APRM) The 28 countries participating in the APRM as of May 2008 are: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon,Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. TTHEHE AAFRICANFRICAN PPEEREER RREVIEWEVIEW ((APR)APR) PPANELANEL OOFF EEMINENTMINENT PPERSONSERSONS Professor Adebayo Adedeji, from Nigeria, representing West Africa (Chairperson) Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat, from Kenya, representing East Africa (Lead panellist for Nigeria) Professor Mohammed Seghir Babès, from Algeria, representing North Africa (Member) Mrs Graça Machel, from Mozambique, representing Southern Africa (Member) Professor Dorothy Njeuma, from Cameroon, representing Central Africa (Member) Mrs Marie-Angélique Savané, from Senegal, representing West Africa (Member) Dr Chris Stals, from South Africa, representing Southern Africa (Member) AAPRPR SSECRETARIATECRETARIAT Postal address African Peer Review Mechanism Secretariat PO Box 1234, Halfway House, Midrand, 1685, South Africa Physical address Unit 101, Gateway International Business Centre, Columbia Avenue (corner New Road and Challenger Road), Midrand, 1682, South Africa Tel: +27 (011) 256 3401 Fax: +27 (011) 256 3456 Website: www.nepad.org/aprm or www.aprm-international.org IV AACKNOWLEDGEMENTSCKNOWLEDGEMENTS The African Peer Review Mechanism Panel of Eminent Persons (APR Panel) commends the government and the people of Nigeria for reaching this stage of the process. Nigeria is one of the fi ve countries that initiated the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). It was also a key architect of, and one of the fi rst countries to accede to, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The APR Panel lauds the government and people of Nigeria for staying the course, thereby enabling the country to fi nalise the self-assessment and review stages of the process. The APR Panel is especially grateful to His Excellency President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua for the support and resources he made available to the national process. The APR Panel further recognises the contribution of former president, His Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo, to the continental and national processes. The APR Panel expresses its gratitude to Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat, who led the Nigerian country review process. The APR Panel also acknowledges the contribution of His Excellency Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, the former president of Sierra Leone, who participated in the Country Review Mission (CRM) as a high-level resource person and observer. The CRM would not have succeeded without the support of the various national structures. In this regard, the APR Panel notes the contribution of Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe [the APR National Focal Point (NFP) for Nigeria], Chief Mrs Chinyere Asika [chairperson of the National Working Group (NWG)] and Ambassador Tunji Olagunju (special adviser to the president on NEPAD and the APRM). The APR Panel is grateful to the governors and people of the various states that hosted the CRM – Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Katsina, Kwara, Lagos, Ogun, Plateau, Sokoto and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Abuja. The participation of stakeholders from the following states is most sincerely appreciated: Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi,