The strategic direction of the NEPAD Agency is based on the following thematic areas: (a) Agriculture and Food Security; (b) Climate Change and Natural Resource Management; (c) Regional Integration and Infrastructure; (d) Human Development; (e) Economic and Corporate Governance; and (f) Crosscutting Issues of Gender and Capacity Development.

What is NEPAD The NEPAD strategic framework arises from a mandate given to the five initiating Heads of State (Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa,) by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to develop an integrated socioeconomic development framework for Africa. The socio-economic framework was a result of the merger of the OMEGA initiative, which had been initiated by President Wade of Senegal and the Millennium Partnership for the African Recovery Programme (MAP) into the New Africa Initiative (NAI). NAI, which was later named the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, was formerly adopted by the 37th Summit of the OAU in July 2001, in Lusaka, Zambia.   “The founding countries all came to the party and joined forces designing a comprehensive development framework which could be used as a

referral framework,” he adds. “The referral framework would measure the outcomes of delivering certain development programmes in key sectors such as Infrastructure, which covers energy, transport, ICTs, water and sanitation; Agriculture and Food; Peace and Security; Science, and Technology; Trade & Market Access, including, Tourism and the Environment; Human Development - which includes Health and Education and Water & Sanitation. In addition, we also have a focus on Governance and State Capacity Building which are the conditions for sustainable development, while Gender and women empowerment is central to all programmes.”  

Dr Mayaki says the key dimensions of NEPAD are two-fold – Accountability and Integration: “Firstly,” he says, “the programme is based on Africans counting on themselves in order to achieve the set African Union (AU) vision as espoused in the AU Constitutive Act, and the internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and do not count exclusively on foreign aid. Secondly, African development will not be possible if there is no regional integration.”

With regard to the future, Dr Mayaki says he, and NEPAD, see the future in a very positive light. “We have highly skilled staff and an exceptionally good reputation with our partners. Our strategic plan will, very strictly, encompass the mandate which has been defined for us. We are building an organisational culture based on participatory mechanisms which will help us to collectively describe and attain our programmes and activities.

“The image which has to be created and disseminated by NEPAD,” Dr Mayaki emphasises, “is that the NEPAD is an inclusive African initiative for the whole of Africa and not a closed club! The five founder member countries, as well as our Steering, or Orientation, Committee – comprising representatives from an additional 15 African countries (three countries per region)”.

“The Committee,” he continues, “also has representation from regional development communities and regional development banks. This just re-emphasises and reiterates that NEPAD must not be seen as an exclusive initiative – but as an all-inclusive club, which was the aim promoted by the founder members when NEPAD was originally conceived. Our ideal,” Dr Mayaki stipulates, “is to expand to a membership-base of all 53 countries on our continent with the key dimension being broad ownership.

“We are an extremely young continent,” Dr Mayaki stipulates, “as more than half of our population are less than 18 years of age. With this in mind we are working for the youth – this makes sense when you realise it is the empowerment of a well-educated and gender-balanced young population that will effectively allow the continent’s development. You cannot govern a young population in the same way as you govern an old population,” he says, “and if you don’t integrate the necessities of this you will be in trouble politically.”

Eradicate poverty; place African countries, both individually and collectively, on a path of sustainable growth and development; halt the marginalisation of Africa in the globalisation process and enhance its full and beneficial integration into the global economy; and accelerate the empowerment of women.