6.0.2 The Socio Economic Development thematic area of the NEPAD APRM process has the following specific objectives:  Promoting self reliance and building capacity for self-sustaining development.  Accelerating socio-economic development to achieve sustainable development and poverty eradication.  Strengthening policies, delivery mechanisms and outputs in key social development areas including education for all, combating HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases.  Ensuring affordable access to water, energy, finance (including micro finance) markets and information and communication technology (ICT) to all citizens especially the poor.  Progress towards gender equality, particularly equal access to education for girls at all levels.  Encouraging broad-based participation in development by all stakeholders at all levels. 6.1 Objective 1: Promoting Self Reliance and Building Capacity for SelfSustaining Development. 6.1.1 In order to improve on previous socio-economic development plans and in its commitment towards the transformation of the country, the Federal Government, in collaboration with the 36 States of the Federation, the Local Governments as well as the organized private sector and the civil Society, put in place a long term plan- Nigerian Vision 20:2020 (NV 20:2020). 6.1.2 The NV 20:2020 is a long term economic transformation blue print. It articulates Nigeria’s economic growth and development strategies over an eleven year period from 2009 to 2020 and is designed to be implemented in a series of medium term national development plans. This is expected to be 70