Italian development aid in brief

1. Background and main reasons for the presence of the Italian Development Cooperation in Niger

Over the years, the political situation in Niger has been upset by tensions in the constitutional asset of the country and in 2010, there was a coup d'état led by General Salou Djibo in order to prevent the nomination of the President in office for a third term. After the restoration of the democratic order, promised and implemented by the military forces and  the election of the new President Mahamadou Issoufou, recent political and institutional instability and the insecurity in the North (caused by the presence of the al-Qaida group in the Islamic Maghreb and Boko Haram) have contributed to further destabilization. This situation is added to the climatic and environmental difficulties in the region and in the whole country, with consequences on food production. The current situation leads to the final conclusion that only two of the eight MDGs (reducing child mortality and combating HIV) will be partially achieved. Despite the progress in public education, the literacy rate is only 28.7%, and the focus on secondary schooling seems insufficient.

Although difficulties, the Italian Development Cooperation has maintained steady its aid flows to Niger since the ‘80s. Between  1984 and 2012, Italy allocated grants and loans for a total of nearly €135 million. Italian Development Cooperation has promoted various initiatives in different sectors, but its twenty-year experience in combating desertification makes Italy the leading  donor in the field of rural development

Italy has a growing interest in health care, carrying out a training program that responds to an increasing demand for capacity building and improvement of human resources, accordingly to ownership and harmonization principles.

2. Other international donors, coordination and opportunity of division of labor, joint evaluation (harmonization)

During the military government, all interventions have been focused on the emergency sector, particularly in food aid, to restart on a larger scale after the return to regular presidential elections

On the occasion of a full return to democracy, the European Union and many other partners have decided to resume their technical and financial support. In this context, international cooperation has focused on supporting the Government of Niger in the implementation of the “Stratégie de Développement Accéléré et de Réduction de la Pauvreté” for the period 2008-2012.

OECD-DAC and the Delegation of the European Union are in charge of coordinating all donors: in 2011, OECD-DAC carried out a periodic assessment on aid effectiveness, while the EU delegation – to which activities Italy has actively participated – has recently embarked on a path to a more effective division of labor among the partners.

According to this division of labor, each donor should focus on three priority areas of intervention for a better harmonization and reduced transaction costs. The Italian Development Cooperation follows the process with particular interest and commitment, especially considering the latest budget cuts, which would require a better channeling of interventions, waste reduction and greater efficiency.

3. Other expressions of the Italian Cooperation System in the country (NGOs, universities, local authorities, private sector) and strategies for their involvement 

Italian Development Cooperation and the Italian National Research Council (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche) jointly manage the project “Adaptation to climate change, disaster prevention and agricultural development for food security – ANADIA”, which aims to tackle disasters such as floods and droughts that every year put at risk the safety of the Niger populations. This initiative is carried out also in collaboration with the Directorate of Meteorology of Niger and with a Niger’s Association similar to Afrique Verte.

In Niger there are some Italian NGOs, which mainly work in the sector of health and food security. Italian Development Cooperation will promote a greater involvement of all Italian actors in the country, namely in order to identify and implement priority actions. 

4. Main goals of the Italian Cooperation in the country, sharing with counterparts and consistency with international guidelines on aid effectiveness

The initiatives of the Italian Development Cooperation follow the objectives identified by the 2012-2015 Economic and Social Development Plan (ESDP), a strategic document prepared by the Nigerian authorities for the medium / long term development strategy, which are in line with the Millennium Development Goals. Food security, good governance, human capital development and infrastructures are the priority areas.

The implementation of the ESDP is ensured by a system that includes an Advisory Board, chaired by the Prime Minister, and a Permanent Secretary under the direction of the Ministry of Planning, Land Management and Community Development, specifically designed to promote, plan and coordinate development strategies and to monitor and evaluate development initiatives.

Italy supports the long-term goal of Niger government – a more equitable distribution of the benefits of growth – in order to create the most favorable conditions for Nigerian middle class to flourish. However, in the short term, Italy focused its commitment mainly on food security and rural development, attempting to capitalize the results obtained so far and to improve population’s living conditions, in the framework of a systemic approach for the entire Sahel region.

5. Priority areas of intervention and expected results

In the past, Italian Development Cooperation played the role of leader in the fight against desertification, financing interventions carried out by UNOPS, CILSS (Comité permanent Inter-Etats de Lutte contre la Sécheresse dans le Sahel) and FAO. Through the Local Development Program in the Ader Doutchi Maggia (PDL / ADM) – known as "Project Keita" – for a value of approximately €50 million in 25 years, Italy has successfully helped to revive agriculture in one of the most arid areas of the Sahel, focusing its intervention strategy on sustainable development, climate change, human pressure and water as an essential factor for development.

Since 2006, Italian commitment has also been extended to the health care sector, with a training program that responds to an increasing demand for capacity building, according to the principles of ownership and harmonization.

More recently and in close collaboration with many Italian NGOs, the Italian Development Cooperation has allocated approximately €4.6 million in emergency and relief initiatives for the period 2008-2012.

Particular attention has been paid to the food sector, considering Niger high vulnerability (like other countries of the Sahel), due to structural reasons such as climate conditions, high population growth, chronic poverty, drought and lack of pasture,  few instrument to fight child malnutrition.

Since 2012, Niger has been confirmed a priority country for Italian Development Cooperation. In 2012 Italy granted a contribution of €500,000 for a project carried out by the Italian National Research Council, aimed at preventing natural disasters and developing sustainable agriculture that can adapt to climate change and be less vulnerable to extreme events.

Following Niger request, Italy has also contributed – on the occasion of the Round Table on the financing of the Nigerian Economic and Social Development Plan for 2012-2015, held in Paris the 13th and 14th November 2012 –a €20 million loan to support the national program on food security, in collaboration with IFAD. At the end of 2014 it was signed the bilateral agreement Italy - Niger and the intervention is currently being launched.