ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The African Peer Review Mechanism Panel of Eminent Persons (APR Panel) commends the government and the people of Nigeria for reaching this stage of the process. Nigeria is one of the five countries that initiated the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). It was also a key architect of, and one of the first countries to accede to, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The APR Panel lauds the government and people of Nigeria for staying the course, thereby enabling the country to finalise the self-assessment and review stages of the process. The APR Panel is especially grateful to His Excellency President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua for the support and resources he made available to the national process. The APR Panel further recognises the contribution of former president, His Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo, to the continental and national processes. The APR Panel expresses its gratitude to Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat, who led the Nigerian country review process. The APR Panel also acknowledges the contribution of His Excellency Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, the former president of Sierra Leone, who participated in the Country Review Mission (CRM) as a high-level resource person and observer. The CRM would not have succeeded without the support of the various national structures. In this regard, the APR Panel notes the contribution of Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe [the APR National Focal Point (NFP) for Nigeria], Chief Mrs Chinyere Asika [chairperson of the National Working Group (NWG)] and Ambassador Tunji Olagunju (special adviser to the president on NEPAD and the APRM). The APR Panel is grateful to the governors and people of the various states that hosted the CRM – Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Katsina, Kwara, Lagos, Ogun, Plateau, Sokoto and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Abuja. The participation of stakeholders from the following states is most sincerely appreciated: Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Nassarawa, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara. The APR Panel wishes to thank especially all the nonstate stakeholders and the media in Nigeria for the vibrancy with which they embraced and contributed to the APRM process. The strategic partners of the APRM, namely the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Regional Bureau for Africa, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), have supported the APRM since its inception. The APR Panel acknowledges the personal commitment of the respective heads of these institutions: Mr Donald Kaberuka, Mr Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo and Mr Abdoulie Janneh. The APR Panel notes the useful contributions of the representatives of these institutions who participated in the various APRM missions. The APR Panel mentions especially the African experts who participated in the CRM and assisted in drafting the report. They are the independent consultants (Dr David Abdulai, Ms Khadijah Alia Bah, Dr Bernard Dasah, Professor Shadrack Gutto, Ambassador Tesfaye Habisso, Professor Mbaya Kankwenda, Dr John Karimu, Ms Sara Longwe, Professor Wafula Masai, Ms Laura Nyirinkindi, Professor Olewe Nyunya, Dr Shekou Sesay and Dr Byron Tarr), the strategic partners [Ms Tonaina Ngororano (of the AfDB), Dr Bartholomew Armah, Dr Kojo Busia and Dr Adam Elhiraika (all of UNECA)], and the APR Secretariat (Ms Nana Boateng, Ms Evelynne Change and Mr Ferdinand Katendeko). V