Clement Idoko, Abuja - 30.07.2007

President Yar’Adua said this in Abuja when he received a panel of the review committee led by the National Adviser on New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Professor Tunji Olatunde, on the validation of the Nigeria’s APRM report.

He said, “I am committed to the assessment as long as the review is honestly done and with sincerity of purpose.”

APRM is a flagship programme of the NEPAD for fostering good governance in African countries.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja at the weekend, Prof. Olatunde said “the mechanism is a critical catalyst for advancing reforms in governance and socio-economic development and for building capacity in the African continent.

“Its primary mandate is to encourage acceding countries to adopt policies and practices that conform to the agreed political, economic and corporate governance values, codes and standards as well as the socio-economic objectives enunciated in the NEPAD Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance document (2002).”

Prof. Olatunde disclosed that out of the 27 African countries that agreed to be reviewed, five countries – Ghana, Algeria, South Africa, Kenya and Rwanda, had been completely reviewed. “Nigeria began her own review two years ago, but the process was derailed because of thetransition programme.”

According to him, Nigeria has nine months from now to submit its self-assessment report in line with the agreement, adding that with the blessing of President Yar’Adua, the processes would be scaled up.