Ethiopia eyes better results from Nepad next decade

Source: Ipp media, 3rd February 2011

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has said that the next decade provides the opportunity for better performance and results from the New Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad).
He made the observation recently here when he addressed the 24th Nepad Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC).

“Now that the integration of Nepad into the African Union structures and processes has materialised, with the establishment of the Nepad Planning and Coordinating Agency, a new dawn beckons to actualise the Nepad vision,” Zenawi said.

Ali Bongo, the Vice Chairperson of the AU and President of Gabon reiterated the African leadership’s support towards Nepad and called upon his colleagues to push for the Nepad High-Level Sub-Committee on infrastructure, which is chaired by President Jacob Zuma of South Africa.

In his remarks, Jean Ping, the Chairperson of the AU Commission, said that 2010 was a crucial year for the AU and Nepad, especially with the mainstreaming of Nepad into the AU.

As a result, he said, a Nepad coordination unit has been set-up at the AUC to improve the synergy between the Nepad Agency and the AUC.

On the work of the NEPAD Agency, Ping said the Agency had assisted the AUC and Africa in the preparation of African positions at the global level – at the G8 and G20 engagements concerning the follow-up on global commitments to Africa.

Ibrahim Mayaki, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NEPAD Agency, presented an activity report that focused on the achievements being made in the roll-out of NEPAD programmes and projects.

The report covered the thematic areas of agriculture, climate change and natural resource management, regional integration and infrastructure, human development, economic and corporate governance and the cross-cutting issues of gender, capacity development and information and communication technologies.

“However, there are some challenges that we still have to overcome in order for the Agency to deliver more fully on programme delivery, particularly around the provision of technical and financial resources for the Agency,” he added.

A key area that has been identified for delivery is infrastructure - whereby eight African countries on the HSGOC infrastructure sub-committee are working to champion regional and cross-border infrastructure projects in order to attract investments and enhance regional integration.

This Presidential Infrastructure Champion Initiative is based on the AU Nepad African Action Plan (AAP) and the Programme for the Infrastructural Development of Africa (PIDA).

The 24th meeting of the Nepad HSGOC was held at the margins of the 16th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The NEPAD HSGOC works to provide strategic oversight and guidance to the work of the NEPAD Agency.

Leaders in attendance included those from South Africa, Ethiopia, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Congo, Lesotho, Sudan, Benin, Gabon and the AUC Chairperson.