President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the African Peer Review Mechanism, saying the mechanism is impacting effectively on the continent.
Buhari made the comments during the 30th Summit of the Forum of Heads of State and Government of member states of the APRM.
Represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, President Buhari said the mechanism seeks to attain the pan -African vision of a prosperous, peaceful and integrated Africa that is respected globally for its good governance.
He said: “It has, therefore, been providing a platform for AU member states that have acceded to the protocol to share information, knowledge and experience as they review each other’s performance within the framework established by the forum.
“As a self-monitoring mechanism in all aspect of governance, the initiative places the people at the centre of the development discourse for the benefit of Africans in line with AU Agenda 2063.
“The establishment of the mechanism has led to healthy competition in development efforts, as well as providing a mechanism to identify deficiencies and capacity-building needs among member states, as it promotes best practices for a sustainable development and political stability.”
Buhari further told the forum that a national structure was duly established for Nigeria’s second review under his leadership for effective implementation of APRM.
He explained that the structures were the establishment of a National Focal Point of APRM, charged with the responsibility of ensuring the successful domestication and implementation of APRM in Nigeria.
Buhari together with others said a 15-member National Governing Council presently constituted is made up of broad-based representatives of Nigerians from both the public and private sectors.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the APRM was established in 2003 by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee as an instrument for AU Member States to voluntarily self-monitor their governance performance.
APRM is a voluntary arrangement amongst African states to systematically assess and review governance at Head of State peer level in order to promote political stability, accelerated sub-regional and continental economic integration, economic growth and sustainable development.