New partnership for Africa's development was an attempt to overcome _______?

Analyze the question: The question asks what NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa's Development) was designed to overcome.

Explain the concept: NEPAD was launched in 2001 by the African Union's predecessor (OAU) and championed by leaders such as Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), Thabo Mbeki (South Africa), Abdelaziz Bouteflika (Algeria), and Abdoulaye Wade (Senegal). It is a broad socio-economic development framework for Africa. Its main aims include:

• Eradicating poverty
• Promoting sustainable growth and development
• Integrating Africa into the world economy
• Promoting good governance, peace, and security
• Improving infrastructure, health, education, and agriculture

Step-by-step solution:

1. Option A (civil wars): NEPAD promotes peace and security, but this is only one of its components, not its overall purpose.
2. Option B (diseases): Health is one sector NEPAD addresses, but again it is only a part.
3. Option D (coups): Political stability and democracy are part of its governance goals, but this is also too narrow.
4. Option C (obstacles to African development): NEPAD was a comprehensive plan to tackle all the barriers holding Africa back: poverty, poor infrastructure, weak governance, conflict, disease, and marginalization in the global economy. Wars, diseases, and coups are all examples of these obstacles, so this option covers everything.

Answer: The correct option is C. obstacles to African development.

Exam tip: When one option is broad and the others are specific examples that fall under it, the broad option is often the correct one, especially for organizations with wide-ranging goals like NEPAD. Remember: NEPAD = Africa's own development blueprint, tackling all obstacles to growth.