The African Development Bank approves funding of $127.8 million to Niger to support farming and pastoral communities. The approved financing consists of a $71 million loan and a $56.8 million grant. The funding is one of the national transport strategy priority projects aiming to increase benefits from the region’s resources and opportunities. This will boost its impact on development, improve people’s resilience, and contribute to the transformation of the rural setting.
The funding aids farming, like constructing farmers’ centers & stock-vaccination centers, installing dairy units, and more. In addition, the project aims to help women & youth. It also seeks to improve the Hamdara-Wacha-Dungass-Nigerian border road, a critical route joining inter-state areas. These production areas are expected to boost transport links to places with potential for agriculture, forestry, and livestock farming.
The road project consists of environmental protection measures, associated improvements, restoration and construction of socioeconomic infrastructure, the construction of 150 kilometers of associated rural roads, and five kilometers of roadways in the town of Dungass. The project will be implemented in the Zinder region in eastern Niger, where mixed farming consists of stock breeding combined with crop cultivation.
The Zinder region contains rural communities of Hamdara, Wacha, and Dungass. As of 2021, it has a population of over 360,000, of which 180,000 are women. The road project will also benefit communities along the border with neighboring Nigeria. The African Development Bank’s contribution in Niger consists of 13 active operations with a total commitment of $631.7 million NET.
