Africa Media Watch

A summit in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, to map out ways of improving Africa's economic fortunes was accompanied by high expectations.

But many papers were under no illusion that the horizon is clouded by controversy and conflict.

The summit was the biggest gathering so far under the auspices of Nepad, the New Partnership for African Development.

The presidents of Nigeria, South Africa, Algeria and Senegal were among the leaders present.

Marshall plan

Nigerian papers were largely upbeat - it was after all their president, Olusegun Obasanjo, who hosted and opened proceedings.

"Nepad, modelled on the US Marshall Plan for Europe after World War II, seeks to target yearly investments of $64 billion to revive ailing African economies and annual growth of 7%," The Guardian, published in Lagos, said on the eve of the summit.

The paper quoted South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma as saying that the proposals put forward in Abuja would guide the G8 countries when they meet in June in Canada to unveil an African action plan.

21 African states attended the summit hosted by the Nigerian President

A later report by the same paper focused on the role of the Nigerian president.

"Obasanjo told the summit that the world was watching to see how Africa was managing its initiative to end a vicious cycle of conflicts, economic collapse and failed governments," the paper says.

To ensure support for Nepad by Western investors, African leaders have "agreed to subject themselves to a tough new code on democracy and good governance", the paper adds.

Optimistic note

The Lagos paper This Day likewise has little to say, besides offering quotes from the president.

"The second summit of African leaders on New Partnership for African Development ended on an optimistic note with the host, President Obasanjo, stating that the body was fast gaining recognition and support in the international community," the paper says.

But it does admit Obasanjo raised a number of "posers", including the "need to address the issue of freedom, or lack of it".

Another Nigerian paper, Vanguard, takes pride in the fact that it was the president himself who championed the cause at the summit of a "code of good governance" in Africa.

"President Obasanjo told the Nepad steering committee that the code should stipulate the steps to be taken against countries that violate that code," the paper says.

Shadow of Harare

Abuja's Daily Trust suggests however that the distinguished gathering did not gloss over the problems Africa is facing.

The shadow of Harare could blight Nepad

Business Day

"African leaders rose from their meeting on the implementation strategy for Nepad and attributed the ongoing conflicts in the continent as major obstacle to its socio-economic development," the paper says.

The stumbling block of the Zimbabwean poll is a theme taken up by South Africa's Business Day.

An article by a visiting British academic says the "shadow of Harare could blight Nepad".

Nepad waxed lyrical on democracy and good political governance. "Fine words", the article says, "but did Zimbabwe's elections really meet such standards?"

"Convincing the industrialised G-8 nations to invest in this partnership has now become a lot more difficult," the article adds.

Dirty money

In Zimbabwe itself, papers believe that deliberations at the summit came out firmly in Harare's favour.

Americans think that they can use aid as a whip to turn Africans against each other

Bulawayo Chronicle

"US ploy hits snag," reads a headline in The Herald.

"An attempt by the US to coerce African countries into isolating and condemning Zimbabwe in exchange for aid came under attack at a meeting of the continent's leaders in Nigeria," the paper says.

Another Zimbabwean paper, the Bulawayo Chronicle, is equally defiant.

"In their typical bullish style, the Americans think that they can use aid as a whip to turn Africans against each other."

The paper says such efforts by the US have been "dismissed for the hot air they are".

"We unequivocally tell the Americans to look elsewhere because we do not need dirty money," the paper concludes.

Going private

Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, one of the architects of Nepad, said in the run-up to the summit that the crisis in Zimbabwe would not hinder Nepad's plans, according to an article in Le Soleil.

The paper quotes him as saying that good governance and democracy have always been the basis of Nepad.

Nepad is turning its back on the long-standing idea of credit aid

Youssouf Sakho

And that if a country "doesn't want to follow democratic principles, then ultimately it is their problem".

One initiative announced at the summit was that Senegal would host a conference next month on private sector investment in Africa.

Le Soleil quotes the country's transport minister, Youssouf Sakho, as saying that Nepad "is turning its back on the long-standing idea of credit aid", in favour of private funding.

Another Senegalese paper, Wal Fadjri, touches on the ideological aspect of the new partnership.

It says the Senegalese president's recent trip to The Gambia was a step towards improving integration and neighbourly relations, "which make up one of the philosophical platforms of Nepad".

Wal Fadjri sounds one cautionary note, however, recalling that African trade unions have expressed their concern over Nepad.

Their greatest fear is that Nepad "does not take into account the needs of the African people", the paper says.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.