New Partnership for Africa's development (NEPAD) :: three critical elements

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (better known as NEPAD) is a strategic development framework for the African continent. This article examines the document's relevance as well as the policies advocated. Criticisms focus on the document's economic content. This paper argues that (1) the issue of investment financing is handled rather awkwardly and the investment options are not adequately ranked, (2) policies to battle poverty are insufficiently developed, and (3) the project is based on an excessively minimalist approach to the role of governments in Africa.