Economic and Social Development – 2004
2004
Social and economic development continued to be an issue in Niger, notwithstanding sustained growth from uranium mining. According to Ibrahim, an economist at the World Bank in Niamy, “Leaders were not just banking on uranium. In their speeches, agriculture and livestock were presented as the lifeblood of Niger’s economy. Unfortunately, there has never been clear economic policy on these two sectors”.
“According to the United Nations Development Program, 63 percent of Niger’s citizens lived below the poverty line of a dollar a day. Food insecurity and a lack of proper housing pose acute problems. In response to this situation, government – in association with donors – adopted a poverty reduction strategy in January 2002. The program aimed to encourage sustainable economic growth through developing agriculture and other sectors, and to ensure that basic social services were provided to the population. It also promoted good governance. The strategy also included initiatives for building 1,000 new classrooms, 1,000 clinics and several dams and water points. The initiative also deals with job creation.”1
The northern population felt a sense of frustration, which stemmed from their political, economic and social marginalization. They complained there was not “much investment in development, in infrastructure, whereas it is in their area that uranium is produced.”2
2005: “The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved an International Development Association (IDA) financing of US$40 million to support the implementation of the economic reform program during 2005-2006 and the Poverty Reduction Strategy in Niger. The Public Expenditure Reform Financing (PERF) will help deepen the reforms in public expenditure management, increase the impact on the poor of public spending in key priority areas, including public service delivery in education and health, and investments for agricultural growth and rural development”.
“Economic management performance as well as social indicators improved substantially since 2000 in Niger. Together with good economic growth prospects, the PERF is expected to have a significant and sustainable impact on governance and poverty reduction.”3
In 2005, the government also came up with an economic assistance plan to reintegrate the Tuareg rebel combatants into socio-economic life with $300 grants to each combatant in the form of micro-loans for projects in animal husbandry, the craft industry and vegetable gardening.4
Overall, while still ranking as the world’s poorest country, Niger achieved some remarkable success in terms of economic and social development. “Farmers had diversified their revenues and are now in control of their financial situation,” said Germaine Ibro, an IRAN researcher who surveyed the economic and social impact of the rehabilitation process in the Tahoua and Zinder regions. Women benefited a lot from the rehabilitation project. It was reported that women could spend more time developing crops, they had more money, and then they could attend to other businesses such as livestock and forestry. This means their children could go to school.5
- “Niger; Fight Against Poverty Gets Mixed Reviews,” Africa News, August 3, 2004.
- “Niger; Social Issues Take Centre Stage Ahead of Presidential Poll,” Africa News, November 12, 2004.
- “Niger; World Bank Supports Economic Reforms in Niger,” Africa News, May 24, 2005.
- “Niger; Tuareg Ex-Combatants to Get Promised Assistance a Decade After Peace Accord,” Africa News, October 14, 2005; “Niger (PCPAA, 2006 — 2007),” School for a Culture of Peace, 2008, accessed August 1, 2010, http://escolapau.uab.cat/img/programas/desarme/mapa/niger08i.pdf.
- “Niger; Tide Turning On Desertification,” Africa News, October 11, 2006.