Aliyu Calls For Peer Review In

NIGER State Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu has advocated for the need for a peer review at all levels government to ensure a smooth transition of leadership for the purpose of setting minimum standard for service delivery in the country.

Aliyu, who spoke in Minna on yesterday at a one-day stakeholders sensitization workshop on the second peer review of Nigeria for the North Central geo-political zone, said the need for the peer review in governance became very important at this time of the country history in view of the transformation programme.

The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the state Government (SSG), Sa’idu  Ndako, also pointed out that the African agenda for renewal include advancing the basic values of democratisation and good governance through the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM),which was initiated in 2003 as the governance arm of NEPAD, stressing that it is the institutional basis for enthronement of democracy, good political, economic and corporate governance as well as people centered socio-economic development.

The APRM, he maintained, was designed in such a way that it would participatory.

According to him, the first peer review of the country that was conducted in 2008 was considered a huge success because the review gave an insight of the socio-political development of the country.

Aliyu said: “It is gratifying to note that the first peer review of Nigeria, which was carried out in 2008 led to the development of a National Programme of Action, (NPoA) as one key deliverables of that exercise.

“While it is commendable that the national steering committee is holding the second phase of the review to appraise the progress made in the implementation of the NPoA and the advances made in governance over the years, I called on the committee to work toward reducing the time lag between the reviews to enhance the validity of the outcome.

“Indeed, a review of this nature is very significant at this material time in the socio-political history of our nation when we are on the verge of transition in the leadership of our nation at various levels.”

In his remark, the chairman of the National steering committee of the peer review,Senator Ken Nnamani, who was represented by Prof. Ben Nwabueze said peer review exercise not only aid countries to identify the area of challenges but also equip them to surmount such challenges.