2 1.2 Implementation of the APRM process in Nigeria 1.5 Nigeria was among the first countries to accede to the APRM at the Sixth Summit of the NEPAD HSGIC meeting held in Abuja, Nigeria, on 9 March 2003. In fact, the then president, Olusegun Obasanjo, was one of the architects of the NEPAD and APRM initiatives. He served as the chairperson of the NEPAD HSGIC from the inception of NEPAD in July 2001 until he left office in May 2007. He was also chairperson of the APR Forum from June 2003, when the APRM was launched, until his departure from office. 1.6 As mandated by the APRM Base Documents, Nigeria took steps to establish the requisite national structures following its accession to the APRM. In this regard, Nigeria appointed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief and Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFR) Ufot G Ekaette, member of the National Institute (mni), as the National Focal Point (NFP). The country also established a 22-member National Steering Committee (NSC) and a 31-member National Working Group (NWG) to oversee the implementation of the APRM national process. 1.7 Once the national structures had been established, the APR Panel’s CSM visited Nigeria between 21 and 24 March 2005. However, the Nigerian APRM process ran into problems, particularly those relating to managing and financing the diverse and complex research institutions selected. A stalemate made a follow-up mission in October 2006 necessary. In the end, five lead research organisations (LROs) were commissioned during the third and fourth quarters of 2006 to assess the perceptions of Nigerians on the quality of governance in the country. 1.8 In order to execute the national self-assessment, the LROs domesticated and adapted the APRM master questionnaire to the context of the country. The LROs used four research instruments to conduct the national selfassessment survey. These were desktop research, the mass household survey (MHS), the elite/decision maker interview (EDMI) and focus-group discussions. The draft Country Self-Assessment Report (CSAR) and NPoA were collated by the end of 2006. 1.9 Nigeria held elections in April 2007. Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua took over from Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as president. The new administration ushered in changes in the management and administrative structure of the APRM at a national level. Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe was appointed as SGF, replacing Chief Ekaette, and became the NFP for the APRM. The NWG was expanded to 240 members. 1.10 The country also embarked on a nationwide validation of the CSAR. This included hosting stakeholder workshops and serialising the executive summary of the CSAR in six of Nigeria’s national dailies and weeklies. E-mail and postal addresses were supplied for receiving feedback on the CSAR. 1.11 The preparation of the NPoA began with a two-phase nationwide validation of the CSAR and draft NPoA. The first was conducted between 19 and 30