US embassy cable - 03ABUJA2133

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Identifier:	03ABUJA2133
Wikileaks:	View 03ABUJA2133 at Wikileaks.org
Origin:	Embassy Abuja
Created:	2003-12-12 12:29:00
Classification:	CONFIDENTIAL
Tags:	PGOV PREL KDEM ECON NI
Redacted:	This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 002133 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, ECON, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA ESTABLISHES NEPAD COUNTRY REPORT MECHANISM 
 
REF: ABUJA 739 
 
CLASSIFIED BY COUNSELOR JAMES MAXSTADT FOR REASONS 1.5 B AND 
D. 
 
1. (C) On November 14 President Obasanjo inaugurated 
Nigeria's Country Review team, the first step for countries 
that have acceded to the African Union's NEPAD peer review 
process.  The team, made up wholly of Obasanjo supporters, 
was enjoined to submit a report on Nigeria's compliance with 
NEPAD precepts on good governance, transparency, and economic 
democracy.  After the report is formally submitted by the GON 
to the Eminent Persons panel (comprised of two members each 
from West Africa and Southern Africa, and one each from East 
Africa and Central Africa), they will conduct the "peer 
review."  The Chairperson of the Eminent Persons panel, 
Marie-Angelique Savana from Senegal, attended the Nigerian 
Country Review team's inauguration ceremony. 
 
2. (C) According to one of the President's Special Advisors, 
the Country Review team would be functioning "in name only." 
He averred that a speechwriter in the Presidency has already 
drafted the report, and the Country Review team will wait a 
short period before submitting it.  The team was offered no 
guidelines by the GON or NEPAD's Secretariat other than the 
vague categories agreed upon by the various African nations 
that have acceded to the process. 
 
3. (C) Comment:  While the theory behind NEPAD,s peer review 
mechanism was sound, its implementation may fall short. 
Without detailed guidelines for the report, nor participation 
from independent representatives of Nigeria's political, 
economic and civil society organizations, it is unclear how 
Nigeria's Country Review team can produce a real and 
comprehensive review report.  It is also unclear what the 
Eminent Persons panel should or will do if the Nigeria report 
it receives is blatantly unreal, especially as its 
Chairperson has already attended the Nigerian process to 
produce it. 
MEECE