Monitoring Democratic Governance: Modus Operandi of NEPAD’s African Peer Review Mechanism

The peer review strategy was adopted in Africa in 2002, and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) was established as a governance monitoring instrument of the African Union under the auspices of its New Partnership for Africa‘s Development (NEPAD) programme. This initiative received commendations as some political leaders, scholars, civil society representatives, including the media agree that lack of good governance, democracy, poor leadership, and domestic mismanagement are critical factors that obstruct the development processes in Africa. Thus, with its vast natural, mineral, and human resources, Africa houses most of the least developed countries of the world. This paper advances the APRM strategy in finding solutions to governance deficits in African countries. It establishes a link between democracy, good governance, and development in a conceptual framework for analysis. The paper adopts a qualitative research methodology and is based on data obtained from literature and official documents/archival materials.