Abstract

In extant literature the role of the individual has been disregarded as a potent force driving and moderating international relations. The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) is one agency of international relations, being an international organization in the African continent. In the studies so far on the NEPAD as an agency of international relations concerning Africa, the role of individuals has also hardly been touched, thus leaving a vacuum in the analysis and understanding of the African affairs. NEPAD has been criticized by scholars who are either skeptical of its prospects or see its leaders as lacking vision and bereft of political will. Some scholars have viewed the entire NEPAD framework as a failure, moreover. However, the works on NEPAD have failed to underscore the influence and contributions of individuals and personalities in the organization at realizing its objectives (or otherwise), as an agency of international relations. Taking an analytical bent, this study particularly focuses on the role of Olusegun Obasanjo as NEPAD’s Head of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) between 2001 and 2003. Drawing from the various leadership theories and perspectives in the available literature, the research particularly adopts Michael Schechter’s model for analyzing leadership in international organizations, a model stressing the systemic, organizational and personality factors. In the conclusion, Obasanjo is found to have made significantly acclaimed contributions at realizing NEPAD’s policy goals.

Key words: Obasanjo’s leadership, African Union, Committee of Heads of State and Government, NEPAD.