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Navigating the diverse plethora of international
organisations promoting their various positively
worded agendas is a challenge anywhere in the world,
let alone in the so-called diplomatic capital of
Africa. One such institution seems to shine through
with a vision more attuned to the specific and
pressing needs of the continent, though the
obstacles to achieving its mission are many and
substantial.
Formed at the turn of the century during the height
of fervour for turning the course of Africa's poor
performances in the 80s and 90s, the New Economic
Partnership for African Development (NePAD) has an
integrated framework taking an attractively
comprehensive approach to the poorest continent's
progress.
Vision is not everything, though; bringing together
a diverse and problematic group of governments to
attract the private sector is a daunting task.
The Eighth Regional Consultation Meeting of UN
Agencies working in support of this African Union
(AU) programme revealed a strong and precise agenda
in place but a lot of work to begin instituting some
of the high-minded propositions.
Unlike many organisations that bite off more than
they can chew and appear in disarray or unfocused,
NePAD has organised itself into cluster groups
concentrated on such important interrelated issues
as infrastructure or governance, to name two of the
nine. Programmes geared to local contexts stemming
from these sub-groups are more promising than some
of the generic recommendations propagated by other
institutions.
The challenges are not so much in working out the
internal structure of the NePAD Secretariat, but
rather in bringing into the picture the various
partners such as national governments and civil
society organisations. Reports of disorganised
business communities around the continent, and
keeping in mind the numerous squabbles within
chambers and other associations in the Ethiopian
context, the AU offspring may be forgiven for some
its shortcomings.
Approaches to social, economic and political
development that incorporate multiple national
governments and focus on regional integration are
commendable, especially considering the current
underperformance and potential in a land where
borders have often been demarcated neglecting
important ethnic and economic continuity
considerations. The catch, however, is that this
requires bringing together multiple governments
often lacking even the capacity to work effectively
domestically, let alone with other less than
cooperative neighbours.
Even so, NePAD has made giant strides in some of its
120 priority continent-wide projects estimated to
cost over eight billion dollars. Getting the African
Development Bank (AfDB) on board to contribute close
to one billion dollars is showing progress in some
of the cornerstone power interconnection projects.
Ethiopia stands to benefit greatly from one such
NePAD influenced undertaking. The Ethiopia Djibouti
Power Interconnection Project is one of the
beginning steps to what seems a bright future for
Ethiopian power exports. With power hungry Kenya
unable to meet its demands and vast untapped
resources, especially hydroelectric, more regional
deals may be the answer to providing the impetus to
state agencies often sluggish to react.
Though it required an additional loan injection from
the Bank, the 393 million Br in construction costs
to be completed in two years' time may provide a
model for the future.
More partnering between national governments,
though, will be needed if NePAD is to challenge its
numerous critics who wish to see it distinguish
itself and produce serious results. No doubt, many
concrete improvements in strengthening its capacity
are required to begin to aid in meeting the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that have been
incorporated in just about every organisation's
agenda.
NePAD's key players seem to recognise the importance
of incorporating the private sector into development
projects geared towards meeting the MDGs. Though
some have criticised it for being overly reliant on
the influences of foreign investors, this is the way
forward in an overly state-controlled continent.
The recently publicised new undersea telecom cable
costing two billion pushed by NePAD requires 70pc
private sector contribution. Countries across the
continent stand to benefit from this connection to
the rest of the world to be completed by 2010.
Hopefully the sluggish state monopoly here can
incorporate it into its plans.
Past all the rhetoric and bureaucracy stemming from
NePAD, it is its core vision that is most
impressive. Granting weight to the private sector in
development projects is a rarity amongst
governmental institutions, though to be expected
from actors that have an interest to perpetuate
their importance.
Moreover, there is a clear need to strengthen
cohesion amongst the diverse continent. No African
country alone, not even the powerhouses of South
Africa or Egypt can carry too much clout when
negotiating with the international heavyweights. It
can never be emphasised enough how important it is
to the majority of the continent's nations to garner
better terms of trade; especially in the
agricultural sector, arrogant Western protectionism
has harmed the masses of poor farmers for too long.
Passed the concrete manifestations of NePAD action,
often under-reported on as it is concentrated
outside urban centres, it is this cooperative spirit
that will have spill-over effects on other important
African endeavours. |
