IMPACT OF NEPAD PROGRAMME ON DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA FROM 2011-2015

Date

2020-03-11

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Department of Political Sciences, Nasarawa State University, Keffi.

Abstract

The research work appraised the impact of the NEPAD programme on development in Africa from 2001 when NEPAD was established to 2012. The appraisal focused on some key aspects of the programmes. In the course of the study, the researcher noted that Africa is largely bedeviled by underdevelopment virtually in all development sectors. NEPAD adopted six strategic development frameworks to tackle challenges of development confronting Africa. The strategies include; the enthronement of democracy, good governance and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), corporate economic governance, conflict resolution mechanism, human development initiative, resources mobilization strategy and the development of sectorial priorities. After a comprehensive examination and appraisal of relevant data gathered in the course of this study, the researcher found out that NEPAD has recorded relative achievements especially in attracting substantial amount of foreign development funding to Africa and debt cancellation. However, this growth rate fell short of seven percent minimum anticipated by the NEPAD to reasonably confront development challenges in Africa. The relative attraction of foreign funding to Africa was mainly due to the mandatory socio-economic and political reforms carried out in many African countries as demanded by Africa‟s development partners and international financial development agencies. The relative improvement in the level of economic growth in Africa since the creation of NEPAD has not adequately impacted positively on development in Africa as vast majority of Africans have been impoverished under the NEPAD programme. This is due to the programme‟s adoption of a neo-liberal development framework that is profit focused and characterized by retrenchment, reduction in government spending in social sector and trade liberalization. With its adoption of neo-liberalism and market centered approach to development, NEPAD falls short of challenging and dismantling the international structures sustaining inequality, poverty, hardship and dependent economies that stands in the way of development in Africa. It is projected that with NEPAD‟s continued adoption of a neo¬liberal approach to development, Africa‟s economies would be more dependent on the developed economies and more entangled with more development challenges. With socio-economic dependent profile, Africa would not be able to achieve many of the millennium development goals by 2015. It is on this note that Ike researcher suggests a re- negotiation of the Neo-liberal content of NEPAD programme with the African development partners to make the programme more responsive to the development aspirations of Africans.

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A PROJECT SUBMITTED TO SCHOOL OF POST GRADUATE STUDIES, NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY KEFFI, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF PGD IN POLITICAL SCIENCE (POLITICAL ECONOMY AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES)