African leaders commend NEPAD

Buhari Zuma

President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria and Jacob Zuma of South Africa

FILE PHOTO: President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria and Jacob Zuma of South Africa at the AU Summit
FILE PHOTO: President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria and Jacob Zuma of South Africa at the AU Summit

African leaders have commended the role of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) in keeping the dreams and potential of the African continent alive.

South Africa’s President, Jacob Zuma, gave the commendation during the African leaders 33rd NEPAD, Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC) meeting in Johannesburg shortly before the start of the African Union (AU) Summit.

Zuma said the continent was now reaping the benefits of responsible macro-economic management and deepening integration into the world economy.

He noted that an investment in infrastructure programmes, regional integration and intra-African trade was Africa’s solution for sustainable growth and development.

AU Chairperson and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe applauded NEPAD’s breakthroughs in project conceptualisation and implementation on the continent.

He said NEPAD had provided critical synergies between and among African institutions, thereby enhancing the much-needed continental integration.

Mugabe urged NEPAD to play a leading role in capacitating Regional Economic Communities to fast-track Africa’s quest for industrialisation and value addition of its vast mineral resources.

He said “surely, the African people cannot continue to be hewers of wood and drawers of water, while others delight in their resources, in our resources.”

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Macky Sall, the Chair of the NEPAD HSGOC and President of Senegal, also underscored the achievements made by NEPAD in advancing regional integration through infrastructure and capacity development projects.

He stressed the need to tackle illicit financial flows from Africa and to enhance the capacities of African member countries to negotiate mining and oil contracts for the social benefit of African people.

Sall also commended the NEPAD Spanish Fund for African Women’s Empowerment, in line with the 2015 summit theme.

The NEPAD Agency Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, reported back on concrete results made for the period January to June 2015.

He said the agency had achieved greater results and each had quantifiable impacts that were geared toward the industrialisation of the continent.

Mayaki highlighted some of the key achievements to include the establishment of an Africa Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance aimed at reaching out to 25 million farmers by 2025.

Also the launch of a Continental Business Network for Infrastructure financing in Africa, and providing access to clean water and sanitation to 9,656 women in Benin and Togo.

The 20- member NEPAD HSGOC met ahead of the 25th AU Assembly, to provide leadership to the NEPAD process as well as to set policies, priorities and the programmes of action.

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