- African Development Bank Group President Sidi Ould Tah and Niger’s Prime Minister, Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, have signed a $144.7 million financing agreement to improve energy access and private sector competitiveness.
The agreement, signed at the institution’s headquarters in Abidjan, provides budgetary support from the African Development Fund, the Bank Group’s concessional financing window. It enables the Nigerien government to implement Phase 1 of the transformative Energy Sector Governance and Competitiveness Support Programme (PAGSEC).
The support from the African Development Fund will increase national electricity access from 22.5% to 30% by 2026, while boosting the manufacturing sector’s contribution to GDP from 2.5% to 3.8%. A key component of the project focuses on developing renewable energy capacity, with plans for 240 MW of solar power by 2030, including 50 MW by December 2026.
Beyond the energy sector, the programme will strengthen public financial management systems while enhancing tax revenue mobilisation and control systems. It will further support the clearance of domestic arrears, enhance public-private partnerships dialogue, and promote the adoption of an industrial and trade policy to bolster Niger’s private sector.
Author: Bryan Groeendaal
