Niger
Support to the strengthening of the business environment in Niger through an efficient, inclusive and modern public-private dialogue and the facilitation of inter-business partnerships between Niger and Europe
May 2021 – January 2023
The formal economy in Niger is largely structured around foreign companies, primarily the exploitation of uranium and oil. Given a business climate that is still too dissuasive, the formal economy comprises a very small number of enterprises only.
One of the marking facts in Niger is that the public-private dialogue has not been functional for about ten years. In particular, no reform programme has been set up with the private sector, which could constitute a roadmap.
A real impetus to development and fight against poverty in Niger is necessary in the medium term, but also in the short term to attract the tools deployed by the European External Investment Plan and its financial instruments, in particular guaranteeing programmes, which play a key role in stimulating the private sector. Tools for private sector financing require guarantees in terms of attractiveness, perspective and dialogue. The objective is to contribute to the strengthening of the business climate in promising sectors through an effective, inclusive and modern public-private dialogue and the facilitation of inter-company partnerships between Niger and Europe.
Via six specialized services, the TIEG expert and his team will provide Niger with private sector analysis tools including help to set up the various necessary interfaces with and about the private sector, strengthen the capacities of the relevant structures, help to conduct a number of small geographical and sectoral studies to support the emergence of the private sector, and test innovative modalities of support to the private sector (such as an inter-company partnership project, which aims to develop joint activities and projects between European and Nigerien MSMEs, but not only these examples) or an approach to the valorisation and modernisation of traditional sectors in Niger. It is expected that the mission will start in June 2021 and be finalized in January 2023.