Niger

With an initial indicative financial envelope of EUR 67 million, it had a budget of EUR 115 million in 2020. The ICP III focuses on the sectors of (i) basic education and vocational training, (ii) sustainable development, and (iii) water and sanitation. Despite the worsening security situation in the Sahel and in Niger in particular and its implications in terms of development cooperation, the implementation of the various Luxembourg development programmes has been achieved without incident. In view of the extension of the ICP III until 31 December 2021 and on the basis of the results achieved, budget increases were approved for all sectors relating to bilateral interventions, namely: water and sanitation – EUR 8 million, rural development – EUR 3.19 million, vocational training and integration – EUR 1.3 million, capacity-building for those in the public spending chain – EUR 1.25 million and, finally, additional support for the sectoral programme on basic education amounting to EUR 1.3 million.

In the water and sanitation sector, where Luxembourg acts as lead partner of the technical and financial partners in Niger, Luxembourg’s Development Cooperation has also implemented the financial support made available, on the basis of delegated cooperation agreements, by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kingdom of Denmark with budgets of EUR 15 million and EUR 26 million respectively. In addition, within the context of the Sahel Alliance, an EU contribution of EUR 8 million has been implemented.

Within the framework of multilateral cooperation, Luxembourg has continued its support to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for a programme to support the integration of rights, the health of adolescents and countering demographic growth (Illimin programme) and to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which has the aim of better nutrition for newborns during their first 1,000 days.