The AU team on Country Review Mission (CRM) on the Peer Review process has described Nigeria’s self-assessment report of its second peer review as excellent and amazing.
Prof. Janneh Abdoulie, Head Panelist on AU CRM, stated this on Friday in Abuja, at an interactive session with critical stakeholders, Civil Society as well as media organisations.
The assessment process is on the ongoing Peer Review of member states of the African Union Development Agency and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA/NEPAD), across the continent.
CRM team arrived in Nigeria to further assess the country’s self-assessment record, following the approval of the reports by President Muhammadu Buhari for validation.
President Muhammadu Buhari recently gave approval to Nigeria’s second Peer Review report of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) for validation.
The APRM is an instrument voluntarily acceded to by AU member states as an African self-monitoring mechanism.
While briefing the newsmen, Abdoulie appreciated President Buhari for the approval given to Nigeria’s self-assessment record to go ahead with the peer review process in the country.
“The review process in Nigeria is very professional, transparent, and impartial manner.
“It’s important that we do this and we just want to salute Nigeria for what we’ve seen so far, that the degree of inclusiveness has been very high, it’s an amazing process,” he said.
Earlier, Princess Gloria Akobundu, National Coordinator AUDA/NEPAD, commended Nigerians for their contributions to the successful outcome of the reports approved by the President.
According to Akobundu, the review will address economic challenges, good governance, food sufficiency, health challenge, security as well as political activities in Nigeria.
“We are here to inform you that the AU team is here in the country and also to inform you that we are set for validation exercise and this exercise will take us across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
“So, we are happy to have you here today because there is no way we can carry out such exercise without the respected group of society, so you are important, ” she explained.
Also, Mr Austin Aigbe, Programme Officer, Centre for Democracy and Development, appealed to the AU team to urge the government to address the issue of youth restiveness in the country.
According to Aigbe, the government is doing well in the area of infrastructure, but not adequately paid attention to human development, which has resulted in violence and criminality by the youths across the country.
“I am appealing that the team should urge the Nigerian government to engage the youths more in meaningful programmes so as to address some of the challenges the country is going through,” Aigbe appealed.
