Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The National Governing Council (NGC) of African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Nigeria has stated that Nigeria will soon overcome various socio-economic challenges hindering its development.
The Council, whose members were appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari, was inaugurated in July 2019 to oversee the implementation of the country’s Second Peer Review process.
The Chairman of the Council, Senator Abba Ali, revealed that the 15-man NGC’s meeting was held last week Thursday in Abuja to deliberate on programmes of the self-assessment exercise that would be adopted as the country’s second peer review.
Ali, in a statement issued at the weekend by the Media Assistant to the CEO of African Union Development Agency New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD/APRM) Nigeria, Abolade Ogundimu, said by the time the report of the self-assessment exercise is out, there would be lasting solutions to socio-economic challenges like insecurity, unemployment, food security, gender- inequalities among others bedevilling Nigeria.
He stressed that the second peer review would further help the government in the area of security and governance, adding that the report would include the causes, effect and solutions to poverty, insecurity and gender inequalities.
According to him, “We are confident that our recommendations will be embraced by the entire continent to address some of those challenges in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 of the United Nations and African Union’s Agenda 2063.”
Also, a Council member of APRM Nigeria, Hon. Edozie Madu, said proper implementation and coordination would greatly help to ensure the Council to synergise and galvanise given mandates.
Also, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD/APRM, Nigeria, Gloria Akobundu, said the second peer review would analyse and proffer possible solutions to the challenges of governance, insecurity, gender inequalities, among others.
She said: “Preparation is ongoing for second peer review of the country which will be heralded by self-assessment exercise that will help the government to further analyse the gaps and provide solutions to some of the socio-economic challenges confronting the country.
“It will analyse where we were, where we are and where we are going as a country in the area of development.”
Akobundu explained that the NGC is overseeing APRM for efficiency and governance in the country in line with best practices and standard in line with AU mandates.
She stressed that it would also ensure that all the concerns raised in the Country Self- Assessment Reports (CSAR) are addressed in the National Programme of Action (NPoA) as one of the criteria for the report to be adopted by the AU through the APRM.
