• Accelerating regional integration by participating in the harmonisation of monetary, trade and investment policies among participating states. Corporate governance • Providing an enabling environment and an effective regulatory framework for economic activities. • Ensuring that corporations act as good corporate citizens with regard to human rights, social responsibility and environmental sustainability. • Promoting the adoption of codes of good business ethics in achieving the objectives of the organisation. • Ensuring that corporations treat all their stakeholders (shareholders, employees, communities, suppliers and customers) in a fair and just manner. • Making provision for the accountability of corporations and directors. Socioeconomic development • Promoting self-reliance in development, and building capacity for selfsustaining development. • Accelerating socioeconomic development to achieve sustainable development and the eradication of poverty. • Strengthening policies, delivery mechanisms and outputs in key social development areas [including education for all, and combating the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and other communicable diseases]. • Ensuring affordable access to water, energy, finance (including microfinance), markets, and information and communication technology (ICT) for all citizens, especially the rural poor. • Ensuring progress towards gender equality, particularly equal access to education for girls at all levels. • Encouraging broad-based stakeholders at all levels. participation in development by all 1.4 Implementation of the APRM process in Nigeria 29. Nigeria was among the first countries to accede to the APRM at the Sixth Summit of the NEPAD HSGIC meeting held in Abuja on 9 March 2003. Indeed, the then Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, was one of the architects of the NEPAD/APRM initiatives and served as chairperson of the NEPAD HSGIC as well as the APR Forum from the inception of NEPAD in July 2001 until his departure from office in May 2007. 30. Following Nigeria’s accession to the APRM, the country developed a strategic vision for the operationalisation of the APRM, the highlights of which are the following: 31