The Federal Government of Nigeria and the United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP) have signed a landmark Regional Partnership For Democracy (RPD) to strengthen democratic governance, reinforce political stability and promote inclusive participation across West Africa.
The RPD, which is an initiative of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, was coming at a time the region was grappling with rising governance-related pressure including democratic reversals, declining civil trust, the spread of misinformation and disinformation and weakened public institutions.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, in his remarks said: “RPD reflects both the aspirations and the lived realities of the people of West Africa.”
He said further that, “The RPD is more than a policy statement. It is President Tinubu’s contributions and indeed Nigeria’s contribution to strengthening and flourishing of democracy in Africa.
“This is intended to guarantee operational continuity and broad inclusiveness and through this framework we seek not only to deploy early warning and rapid mechanism against unconstitutional transitions but also elevate youth, civil society and democratic actors to counter disinformation and promote governance stability.”
According to the minister, the secretariat of RPD will be at the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while its technical team will operate from the office of the UN Resident Coordinator for UNDP in Abuja.
The RPD is in line with the aspiration of the AU Agenda 2063 and the United Nations SDGs Goal 16 and was open to co-ownership, intended not solely for ECOWAS member-states but all West Africa nations including those of the AES.
“The RPD stands as a unifying framework for collective action, regional stability and democratic renewal,” Tuggar added.
UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Elsie Attafuah, in her remarks said: “Today we celebrate a partnership born of vision and conviction. The RPD embodies Nigeria’s continental leadership and the United Nations’ enduring commitment to work with governments for a stronger, more inclusive and more resilient West Africa.
“The RPD is an initiative championed by President Tinubu and today’s milestone signals that Nigeria is not only shaping the regional democratic landscape but also charting a path for African- led, African -own transformation.”
According to her, the RPD is a compact of values, it is an African –led regional anchored and globally significant platform.
She said: “Through its four Pillars, the RPD will first of all strengthen democratic institutions and public accountability; broaden inclusive citizen participation especially for women, the youth and persons with disabilities; promote credible and transparent electoral process and foster regional cooperation and peer -learning so that democracy delivers for the people of Africa.
“The RPD is designed to serve as a catalyst platform for transforming democratic ideals into practical tools to strengthen systems that deliver and build confidence of citizens.
“We must build a vibrant consortium of partners to mobilize the resources needed. UNDP will work with governments, development partners, civil society organizations, and the private sector to mobilize financing and technical assistance for this transformative platform.”
President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, in his address, noted that the RPD was being launched when the social contract between the state and the citizenry was unrevealing at the seams because of challenges democracy is facing within the region.
Represented by AbdulFattah Musa, commissioner for Peace and Security, Touray said: “The ECOWAS Commission therefore seized the initiative with the aimed of promoting inclusive, accountable and resilient political system across the region as it has the potential to contribute to the west African region especially now that the region is witnessing a disturbing spike in unconstitutional changes in government.”
