Participants acknowledged that Nepad was a welcome initiative by African leaders to address Africa’s recovery from its worsening economic underdevelopment and the promotion of sustainable development in a globalising world. It was borne out of the conviction by African leaders that Africans must either develop themselves or remain under-developed. NEPAD was believed to be an initiative aimed at poverty reduction, reversing the marginalisation of Africa, and promoting sustainable development, democracy and good governance on the continent in the 21st century. It was also aimed at the collective and integrated industrialisation of Africa. In other words, it was a political strategy intended to tackle the African development crisis. Consequently, participants welcomed the NEPAD initiative as timely, to be embraced by Africans, especially given the precarious situation of Africa at the end of the 20th century.
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