From our office in Niamey, Niger, we contribute to increasing food security, promoting agricultural entrepreneurship, especially for young people and women, and improving the energy supply and climate.
Sustainable agribusiness
Partners for Innovation Niger
Since 2014 we have an office in Niamey, the capital of Niger. From there, we contribute to improving the business climate for sustainable land use. More than 15 local employees now work in this office, led by Rakiatou Gazibo. They have an agricultural, economic, energy or financial education. Meet our team in Niger.
Our team in Niger focuses on:
- Food security
- Promoting agricultural entrepreneurship, especially for young people and women
- Climate and Energy
The country is highly dependent on orders from abroad for its income. Thanks to the collaboration between Partners for Innovation in Amsterdam and Niger, we are able to get projects financed.
Partners for Innovation coordinated the Agriprofocus network in Niger from 2014 to 2021. This network was intended to promote cooperation between Dutch and international organizations in the field of food systems and food security. In those years, several projects such as ‘I eat local, and you?’ were carried out and several workshops were organised. The financing of Agriprofocus in Niger stopped at the end of 2020. Some important activities of AgriProFocus are continued under the NGO Agrifocus, which is located in the same office.
Why Niger?
Niger is located in the Sahel region of West Africa. It is over 30 times the size of the Netherlands and is home to over 26 million people (World Bank, 2023). The country is experiencing a population growth rate that is among the fastest on the African continent. Of the population, 70 percent are under the age of 25. Niger became independent in 1960; before that it was a colony of France. French is still spoken widely.
The country’s main economic activities are mining and agriculture, especially in the south of the country. Partners for Innovation Niger has existed since 2014. Although there have been several coups in recent years – the last one in 2023 – and many donors and international partners have turned away from the country, we think it is important to remain committed to food security, renewable energy and entrepreneurship.
Some highlights:
- Rakiatou Gazibo highlights the power of young people in Niger on national television (JEEN-project)
- Participation in Sahel fair and conference in 2020
- Visit Minister Kaag in 2019
- LuxDev in Niger: support Luxembourg organization for development cooperation
Projects
At the end of 2021, the Chain Booster project to improve Tiger Nut production started. This four-year SDGP project is financed by RVO. The soil in Niger is very suitable for this protein-rich crop. The raw nuts are exported and processed in Spain. Chain Booster wants to ensure the production of tiger nut milk (and thus jobs and more income) in Niger itself.
With the support of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and the Dutch Embassy in Niamey, a cluster of four Dutch companies is carrying out the Horti-hub program in Niger. The objectives of this 3-year program are to provide more and well-trained young agricultural entrepreneurs, transfer knowledge to local farmers to improve yields and to open the market for Dutch companies. Partners for Innovation Niger will support this cluster with recruitment, training, market research and the provision of land for training and experimental purposes.
Read more on the French-language website of Partners for Innovation Niger.
Please contact Rakiatou Gazibo or Peter Vissers for more information about our activities and ambitions in Niger.
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