Niger

Although Niger is a dry country, it has abundant groundwater and surface water resources. The territory has more than 1,000 ponds, 175 of which are permanent and particularly threatened by sand encroachment. These water resources play an important role in feeding the population and livestock, as well as in agricultural production, both flood-irrigated and irrigated. However, the rapid drying up of these water sources remains a constraint on their use for farming, livestock watering and domestic needs. In order to relieve the populations of rural areas, who often struggle to find water for their needs, the World Bank, through the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (WAFSRP), has supported the Government of Niger in the construction of water mobilisation works, including the development of eight (8) ponds for agro-pastoral and fisheries purposes in the programme's intervention area. Following a technical study carried out by the engineering services in the Tahoua and Zinder regions, it was revealed that in these regions, ponds are very often confronted with the phenomena of early groundwater drawdown, drying up or depletion of ponds, posing a problem of availability of water volumes and land to meet the needs of users.

Work is being undertaken to develop eight (08) ponds in the two regions through deepening, rebuilding thresholds, and mechanical and biological protection in order to contribute effectively to the development of agro-sylvo-pastoral production activities with a view to strengthening the resilience of the beneficiary populations in the communes of ZERMOU, MIRRIAH, and DUNGASS in the Zinder region, and the municipalities of BOUZA, TAMA, and MALBAZA in the Tahoua region.

These developments will enable the direct development of agricultural land around ponds, the recharge of the water table, an increase in income from investments by the population, and the sustainable restoration of ecosystems.

The West Africa Food System Resilience Programme in Niger (FSRP Niger) has provided 324 women in its area of intervention with goat kits consisting of three animals per woman: one male breeding goat and two female breeding goats. The aim of this initiative is to support women's efforts to strengthen food security and the resilience of vulnerable households by supporting their productive livestock capital to enable them to cope with climatic and economic crises.

This FSRP initiative is part of a broader effort to empower women economically and strengthen household resilience in the project's target areas.

According to Mr Mahamadou Ibro, FSRP branch manager in Zinder, households in these target areas are heavily dependent on subsistence activities such as livestock farming, agriculture and, to a certain extent, small-scale trade. This goat kit support operation, which began in 2025, has enabled 324 vulnerable women to benefit from 972 breeding animals at a total cost of 48,600,000 CFA francs. 

Ms Saoudé, a beneficiary of kits from the village of Dogo in the Zinder region, says, "I used to raise small ruminants, but unfortunately, for the past three years, I have had nothing. With the poor harvest, all my animals died. I was able to sell a few, but thank God, with this support from FSRP, I have been motivated, and I can guarantee that this kit will enable me to rebuild my herd."

The beneficiaries chose goats because this species is particularly prolific and therefore an effective response to the multiple needs of women in household life.

As part of the implementation of the Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP), funded by the World Bank through the IDA, the Government of Niger has launched an ambitious initiative to strengthen the economic autonomy of women processors and increase their active participation in agricultural value chains, thereby contributing to food security and inclusive development.

After a phase of identifying beneficiaries and their equipment needs, PRSA Niger distributed 9,025 processing kits to women's organisations in the intervention regions. The various kits were distributed as follows: 3,243 kits (Tahoua); 1,884 kits (Zinder); 3,071 kits (Diffa) and 827 kits (Tillabéry).

A total of 466 million CFA francs has been mobilised to purchase equipment for women processors. This equipment is essential for improving the quality and quantity of processed products and strengthening their marketing capacity in local and regional markets. In addition, this support will increase their income and economic autonomy, while contributing to the food resilience of their communities.

By providing these women with appropriate tools, the FSRP is pursuing its central objective of increasing preparedness for food insecurity and strengthening the resilience of food systems in Niger and West Africa.

According to Hadjia Housseina, "This important support from the PRSA comes at just the right time to address the financial difficulties faced by women in rural areas, enabling them to increase their turnover and provide for their families' basic needs." 

In Niger, rice is the third most important cereal crop after millet and sorghum, in terms of both surface area and production. It plays an important role in the country's economy. Local rice covers around 30% of the country's needs, and many families make their living directly from its production.

Despite sustained efforts to improve the sector's performance, it must be said that there is still a gap between strong demand (7%/year) and production (3%).

To meet these challenges, the State of Niger, in collaboration with its development partners and the main players in the rice sector, has drawn up a National Rice Development Strategy (SNDR).

As part of its support for the implementation of this strategy's action plan, the Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP) has financed several activities, including the process of setting up the national section of the Niger Rice Observatory.

Once set up, the National Rice Observatory of Niger (ONAR-Niger) is a platform that will provide a voice and a space for dialogue for national stakeholders in the sector, with a view to increasing the local impact in terms of sustainability and competitiveness in the rice sector.

To date, the following activities have been carried out as part of this process:

• Setting up a taskforce made up of stakeholders and responsible for operationalising the process of setting up Niger's national Chapter of the Rice Observatory;
• Carrying out a study on the mapping of stakeholders in the Niger rice sector;
• Validation of the results of the study at a national workshop attended by all the stakeholders (players from the various links in the chain, institutional players, projects and programmes);
• Niger's participation in an exchange visit to South Korea organised under the aegis of the World Bank, the Republic of South Korea and other regional institutions (ERO, ARAA). The aim of the visit was to learn from Korea's experience in developing the rice sector and to identify opportunities for collaboration with West Africa. It provided an opportunity to discuss the development of the rice sector with researchers, developers, extension workers and producers.
• The PRSA Niger financed an exchange trip to Ouagadougou to discuss Burkina Faso's experience in setting up a national rice observatory for the permanent secretariat of the SNDR.

FSRP Niger plans to finance an Organisation of a retreat workshop to update the NRDS action plan; the organisation of regional workshops and the organisation of a national workshop to elect the members of the Governing Board and the technical working committee of the rice observatory in Niger.

In Niger, meat is a key export product in the era of the creation of the Continental African Free Trade Area (CAFTA). This represents an opportunity for those involved in the production and sale of Kilichi.

Kiichi is a popular snack in Niger, enjoyed at ceremonies, parties and family gatherings. Appreciated for its spicy taste and tender texture, it is often carefully prepared to offer a variety of spicy flavours to snack lovers.

An extremely popular product both at home and abroad, mainly in the Central and Eastern corridors (Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Nigeria and Chad), Niger's Kilichi obtained its registration certificate from the OAPI in April 2023. Following the award of this label, the government undertook accompanying measures to guarantee the hygiene and health safety of kilichi, as well as increasing production capacity.

As part of this support, PRSA Niger has financed the construction of two kilichi meat processing units equipped with solar dryers.

These Kilichi meat processing units will help to improve kilichi production through :

1. improving kilichi drying techniques
2. the installation of a field of solar dryers;
3. the development of an innovative, environmentally-friendly kilichi production technology that can be replicated in the sub-region through public and/or private investment;

All this will help to improve the nutritional and hygienic quality of kilichi, increase kilichi production capacity in Niger and boost the incomes of kilichi operators by creating jobs, particularly for young people and women.

According to Mr Moustapha Ismaël, President of the Kilichi cooperative in Salewa, this production unit, financed by PRSA Niger, is operated by more than 300 producers, enabling them to organise themselves into groups for the first time in order to increase their production in hygienic conditions.

This PRSA initiative is part of the drive to increase income for Kilichi operators by creating jobs, particularly for young people and women.

Fishing is a major economic activity in Niger, directly or indirectly affecting more than 50,000 people. The country has a wide variety of fish, with more than 112 species listed, and fish production has increased in recent years, reaching 50,000 tonnes in 2023. Fishing activities are developed in Lake Chad (in the Diffa region), the river valley and numerous water points. Nowadays, with the problem of insecurity (in the river valley and Diffa) and other challenges such as the effects of climate change (silting up of water points and colonisation of water bodies by invasive plants), this sector is experiencing difficulties at all levels: production, conservation, processing and marketing of fish products.
With a view to creating favourable conditions for the sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources to help combat food and nutritional insecurity and improve incomes in rural areas, the PRSA Niger, through the Fisheries and Aquaculture Directorate (DPA) of the Ministry of Hydraulics, Sanitation, the Environment and the Fight against Desertification, has stocked the Tcherassa pond in the commune of Konni in the Tahoua region.
This activity, which aims to boost fisheries productivity, is part of an effort to improve the nutrition of the population, particularly children, and also to increase the income of fishermen, fishmongers and other players in the industry by introducing species with a high market value. The stocking operation is followed by a six (6) month closed season to allow the fish to reproduce and adapt to the environment of the introduced fish. 
On 14 April 2025, the authorities reopened the stocked pond, much to the delight of the local population.
It is important to note that 9 surrounding villages in the commune of Tcherassa benefit from the products of fishing in the pond, i.e. more than 10,000 direct and indirect beneficiaries, and measures have been taken to ensure surveillance of the stocked pond and thus combat any illegal fishing with a view to concerted management of the pond's resources. 

As part of an initiative to improve farmers' access to climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies, Niger's Food System Resilience Programme (PRSA) has distributed 143.5 tonnes of improved seeds across 32 communes in four regions targeted by the programme. For the 2023 agricultural season, these seeds, made up of cowpea, rice and maize, have benefited 9,383 producers.

One of the beneficiaries is Mr Ousmane Sabo, a rice farmer in the commune of Zermou, in the Zinder region. He explains:

"The rice seeds supplied by PRSA-Niger enabled me to plant almost a hectare last year, increasing my production compared with previous seasons. Thanks to these seeds, I was able to produce up to 20 75kg bags of paddy rice, compared with just 4 bags previously. With a good rainy season this year, I expect to produce more from the same area. This harvest has enabled me not only to meet my family's food needs, but also to sell part of it to cover health and clothing costs.

As well as having a direct impact on production, this support from PRSA-Niger encourages the dissemination of improved practices among local growers, who are often reluctant to adopt new varieties. Mr Sabo highlights the transformation of his farm and its pioneering role:

"At first, other growers were sceptical about the effectiveness of these seeds. But after seeing the results, I'm determined to carry on."

In 2023 and 2024, PRSA-Niger distributed almost 400 tonnes of improved seeds in the programme's intervention zones, helping to strengthen agricultural resilience to climatic hazards and improve food security in the country.

From 12 to 14 August 2024 in Niamey, the main players and partners involved in implementing the West African Food System Resilience Programme (PRSA) in Niger acquired in-depth knowledge of the methods and techniques for taking better account of the gender and youth dimension in the programme.

To help reduce inequalities and disparities between the sexes and exclusion in the agro-sylvo-pastoral sector and food and nutritional security, the Niger PRSA is committed to taking into account the specific needs of disadvantaged groups such as women and young people.  As a reminder, the first phase of the PRSA in Niger targets 600,000 direct beneficiaries, at least 40% of whom will be women.

The training course, which was designed to help take account of the specific needs of disadvantaged groups such as women and young people, was chaired by the National Coordinator of the PRSA, who in his opening address invited participants to become closely involved in the work and to put forward suggestions for optimising contributions to balanced, inclusive and sustainable development.

The meeting was attended by members of the PRSA National Coordination Unit, representatives of the regional branches and all the partner structures involved in implementing the programme. It was chaired by CORAF's Gender Advisor, Dr Mariame Maïga, assisted by PRSA-Niger's Social Development Specialist/Gender Focal Point and PRSA-Niger's GBV Specialist.

As part of its efforts to empower women farmers in the Tahoua and Zinder regions, the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP) Niger has distributed agricultural processing kits to 2,691 women. This initiative aims to improve the living conditions of women processors in rural areas.

In the Tahoua region, 1,804 women processors each received a kit comprising a 50kg bag of soya, 5 litres of oil and a gas stove. In Zinder, 887 women received kits consisting of a 50 kg bag of groundnuts, a rotary groundnut roaster, ten small plastic buckets and a basin.

This support comes at just the right time to help women in rural areas, who often face economic difficulties after the harvest, when the men leave for exodus. During this period, women struggle to meet the basic needs of their families. Thanks to these FSRP donations, they will be able to improve their financial independence and strengthen their resilience. The women expressed their satisfaction with the donations from PRSA Niger, and thanked the authorities for helping to improve their living conditions.

It should be emphasised that FSRP-Niger, through its expected results, contributes directly to the objectives of the Programme de Résilience pour la Sauvegarde de la Patrie (PRSP), an initiative set up by the Niger authorities to support development and food security.