Niger's civil society has informed Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, the Vice-President for the Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Complex at the African Development Bank Group, of its wish to be more involved in discussions relating to the Bank's operations in the country.
During a meeting with the Vice-President on 14 May 2024 in Niamey, civil society representatives expressed their principal concerns: for the Bank to make more of a commitment to the development of the agricultural, energy and livestock sectors in Niger. They also called for the Bank to be invest more in education, health and water, particularly through the Kandadji Programme, which involves building a regulatory dam of the same name. In addition, they requested that the Bank support Niger's training efforts to give young people access to decent jobs, to facilitate the economic empowerment of women, and to support the fight against gender-based violence and corruption by enhancing the levels of governance of the projects it funds.
During the friendly, producitve discussions, Akin-Olugbade reiterated that the Bank's purpose, as stated in the Agreement that established it, is to provide appropriate solutions to the economic and social development problems facing African countries. "The Bank's operations are governed by strategies, policies, rules and procedures that provide for precautionary measures where necessary," she explained.
She pointed out that the Bank finances nations and the private sector primarily, but is paying more and more attention to civil society organisations, and working closely with them in the operational implementation of its projects within member countries.
The Vice-President added that the Bank has drawn up and is in the process of approving an action plan focusing on civil society. Financing mechanisms will be brought in to enable civil society organisations to access fiduciary funds. An online training session on civil society funding mechanisms is planned for 17 May 2024 for civil society stakeholders, including those in Niger.
The African Development Bank Group's initiatives in Niger target the agricultural, transport, energy and social sectors. Its operations take cross-cutting issues such as gender, youth employment, climate change and fragility into consideration.
Akin-Olugbade is in Niger as part of an official visit to assess the country's situation, dominated by a change of regime, and the development challenges and prospects, to better align the Bank Group's support and assist the government in improving the living conditions of the people of Niger. She is accompanied by the African Development Bank's Deputy Director-General for West Africa, Joseph Ribeiro.
