Priority areas in Niger

Cooperation with the Republic of the Niger focuses on the priority area "Poverty reduction in rural regions" as agreed at the intergovernmental negotiations in 2002. This multisectoral priority area has been implemented since January 2004 as a national programme by the GTZ in cooperation with KfW Entwicklungsbank (development bank) and the German Development Service (DED). The five components concentrate on the Tillabéri and Tahoua/ Agadez regions. The concerted application of all three organisations’ methods and instruments is an example of joined-up Development Cooperation.

In terms of its strategic orientation the programme is integrated into the poverty reduction strategy adopted by the Government of the Niger in 2002, and into the strategy for rural development.

The programme’s regional orientation covers four agro-ecological zones: the farmland north-west of the capital Niamey and along the Niger River, the mixed farming areas (agro-pastoral zone) around Tahoua, the grasslands in the semi-arid northern areas around Agadez and the oases in the arid Aïr mountain ranges.

Experience gathered from several past projects in the fields of development planning, natural resource management, soil erosion prevention, peace promotion and conflict prevention has been integrated into the programme. Decentralisation and democratisation in Niger are also being promoted, along with measures to support municipal development. The GTZ advises local authorities on development planning and on the running and maintenance of municipal facilities, while KfW Entwicklungsbank (development bank) finances infrastructural measures at community level.

This approach is reflected in the programme’s five components:

• support in drafting and implementing development plans for the population in the programme region
• the setting-up and rehabilitation of the social and economic infrastructure
• decentralisation and municipal development
• natural resource management
• policy advice and donor coordination at national level.

To address the increasing danger of the spread of HIV/AIDS, activities in the priority area "Poverty reduction in rural regions" are being complemented by an HIV/AIDS prevention project being implemented in the area of primary education and literacy. While Niger's HIV prevalence rate of less than 1 percent is very low, the disease is spreading above all among school pupils and young people.

Among pupils, teachers and literate adults – in other words, representatives of the formal (primary and secondary schools) and informal (literacy courses, Quran schools) education sector – awareness of the issue is to be raised through culturally suitable learning materials. These materials and handouts will be drawn up in the five most important languages spoken in Niger and distributed throughout the country.

Priority area documents

• Agreement on the priority area: Poverty reduction in rural regions
  fr-strategie-sectorielle-niger.pdf, 0,09 MB (French)
• Strategy for rural development
  fr-strategie-de-developpement-rural-niger.pdf, 0,84 MB (French)
• Poverty reduction strategy Niger
  fr-poverty-reduction-strategy-paper-niger.pdf, 1,34 MB (French)
• Map "poverty and vulnerability" Niger
  fr-pauvrete-carte-niger.pdf, 1,40 MB (French)