The aim of this paper is to cast a critical appraisal of Africa’s Economic Recovery Initiatives since the Lagos Plan of Action launched in 1980. In devising the various blueprints, the authorities appear to have been motivated by the desire to catapult Africa to new heights of prosperous rejuvenation, this after years in which the economies have been wallowing in secular stagnation and worsening economic malaise.

The question that arises in whether NEPAD offers promising prospects for Africa to realize a process of economic renaissance. In this respect, the analysis hopes to address the following questions: Were the fundamental causes of Africa’s economic downturn since the mid-1970s properly unearthed? What were the factors responsible for the eventual paralysis? Is the condition of recession momentum likely to be overturned in any profound way by the NEPAD proposals if they were implemented? How viable and robust is the recommended plan of action?

This paper is structured as follows. First, it discusses the notion of “recovery” in the context of the wider dynamic of economic change. Here, the neoclassical conceptualization of the phenomenon will be presented, followed by a description of a contrasting interpretation. Second, it examines the contents of the various strategies and the conceptual frameworks informing and shaping their fundamental outlooks respectively. Third, the paper analyzes some notable international experiences, and proceeds to show that the successful cases were guided by conceptual frameworks that forthrightly cast aside neoliberal principles, on the one hand, and actively integrated technological imperatives, on the other. Four, I reflect on the potential implications of NEPAD’s neoliberal conditionalities on Africa’s renewal prospects. Finally, the paper urges African policymakers to re-cast the entire NEPAD strategy in accordance with the demands for technological infusion.