Submitted by:

Honourables:

Boucari Sani Malam Chaïbou

SawaniKarimoun

NassirouHalidou

Argi Dan Dadi

Sani Ousmane

May 2017 Session

Honourable Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament,

Fellow Members of Parliament,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Nigerien delegation at the ECOWAS Parliament, I would like to extend my sincere greetings and my best wishes for the successful outcome of this session.

The Nigerien delegation would also like to express their satisfaction over the initiation of the process for the adoption of Supplementary Act A/SA.1/12/16 relating to the enhancement of the powers of the ECOWAS Parliament.

In this respect, the Nigerien delegationwould like to commend once again the Honourable Speaker and all fellow Members of Parliament.

Honourable Speaker,

Fellow Members of Parliament,

This report I have the honour to present to you is structured around the following points:

  1. STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMUNITY TEXTS
  2. SOCIO-POLITICAL SITUATION
  3. SECURITY SITUATION
  4. ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL SITUATION OF NIGER: LEVEL OF ACHEIVEMENT OF THE CONVERGENCE CRITERIA
  5. STATUS OF IMPLIMENTATION OF THE INFRASTRUCTURAL AND TRANSPORT POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES
  6. ENVIRONMENTAND CLIMATE CHANGE
  7. STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs)
  8. OTHER PARLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES
  1. STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMUNITY TEXTS

In terms of ratification, Niger has ratified 48 Community texts and, in the light of the commitments made, pending draft laws have been submitted by the Government to the National Assembly for adoption during this session.

  1. SOCIO-POLITICAL SITUATION

a)Social Situation

It should be recalled thatdespite the organization of general elections, 2016 was a year of relative calm from a social standpoint.

However, the First Quarter of 2017 was marred by civil society and students’ demonstrations.

With respect to students’ demonstrations, there has been a significant development of students’ demonstrations at theAbdouMoumouni University in Niamey. As a matter of fact, clashes between studentsandstate security forceshad erupted on Monday 10th of April 2017, which resulted in thedeath of a student in circumstances which have hitherto not been fully elucidated.

In response to this unfortunate situation that was strongly deplored by the Government and condemned by all socio-professional strata, three police officers were placed under arrest and the principle of constituting a Committee of Inquiry was adopted pursuant toinstructions fromthe President of the Republic.

Furthermore, in a bid to restore peace and tranquillity within the universities and schools, the President of the Republic met with the leaders of theNiger Union of Educational Establishments (Union des ScolairesNigériens - U.S.N).

At the end of said meeting, decisions were reached to notably ensure the release ofall arrested students, the reopening of the AbdouMoumouniDioffo University and the transfer of the Minister in charge of Higher Education and Innovation.

Healthwise, there were two (2) outbreaks of meningitis in the regions of Dosso and Niamey. The outspread of said disease was quickly controlled thanks tosubstantial resources deployed by the ministry in charge of health. In addition, an outbreak of hepatitis E was reported in refugee camps within the Diffa region; this form of disease which occurs infrequently is not well known tothe health services of our country.

However, thanks to the prompt reaction of the Ministry of Public Health and support of the technical partners and the “Médecins sans Frontières” organization [Doctors Without Borders], the situation is well under control.

b) Political Situation

On the political front, all institutions of the Republic prescribedby the Constitution have been effectively established. The1st year anniversary of the second term of the President of the Republic was celebrated on 2nd April, 2017.It should be higlightedthat H.E.IssoufouMahamadou, devoted the entire day to the inauguration of the 80 MWGoroubanda Power Plant on the outskirts of Niamey.

With respect to parliamentary activities, the National Assembly commenced its three-month session on 3rdMarch,2017. During the session, as at 27thMarch 2017,the Bureauwas renewed and henceforth composed of 16 members including three women, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure, as it reflects the political configuration of the National Assembly.

Furthermore, the National Assembly received a request lodged by the Government for waiver of the immunity of a Parliamentarian, including two further requests for the indictment of two former ministers. It should be noted that the three personalities concerned are members of the majority party, which consequently attests to the President’s commitment to combat impunity even within his own camp.

  1. SECURITY SITUATION

Since the collapse of the Libyan State, Niger still continues to face several threats posed by hotbeds of insecurity at its borders; to address this situation, the President of the Republic has made security one of eight (8) axes of its RenaissanceAct I and II Programme; and as such the Government is committing an average of 10% of State resources to enhance theenrolment, equipment and training of the defence and securityforces, including their living conditions.

The sporadic attacks from the border with Mali notwithstanding, thanks to resources deployed by the Governmentand support from regional and international cooperation, Niger is coping and dealing effectively with these terrorist threats. It is noteworthy to equally highlight that Niger is also faced with threats posed by attempts from various criminal economy actors, namely: arms drug dealers and migrantsalong its Saharan borders.

In the framework of “combating irregular migration", Niger has opted for a programme comprising two components: a Security component andSocio-Economic Development component.

  • With respect to the Security component: The Government intends to strengthen its defence and security capacities to protect migrants and combatmigrant traffickers.
  • With respect to the Socio-Economic Development component: The Government has opted for the creation of alternative socio-economic development activities to discourage those who are tempted to engage in illegal immigration networks.

Despite the various forms of threats mentioned above, Niger still remains a peaceful country thanks to the unwavering determination of its President.

  1. ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL SITUATION OF NIGER: Level of Achievement of the Convergence Criteria

a)Economic Situation

Despite the particularly unfavourable international economic context marked by the decline in oil and uranium prices as well as the depreciation of the Naira vis-à-vis the FCFA, in 2016 the economic growth increased by 4,5% as against 3.5% in 2015. This progression in economic activity mainly stems from agricultural production, owing to a decline in value added growth in the mining sector.

Thanks to measures taken by the Government to maintainsecurity stock reserves and a better supply of agricultural products in markets, this growth was achieved in a context marked by moderate price rates.

Foreign trade, however, was marked by an overall negative balance resulting from current and capital account balance deficits, albeit mitigated by the financial account surplus.

With respect to the evolution of the monetary situation as of September 2016, there was a contraction in net foreign assets and an expansion of domestic credit and payroll.

b)PublicFinance Situation

In terms of public finances, theGovernment's fiscal policy aims to strengthenefficient public expenditure as well as improved revenue collection and public debt management.

In 2016, fiscal policy recordedpoor performances in terms of budget revenues, largelyas a result of losses stemming from the decline in oil and uranium prices, as well as the depreciation of the Naira.

By late September 2016, the State’s financial operations recorded, in a peculiar security management context, a significant rise in public expenditures than budget revenues.

For instance, tax revenues stood at 442.5 billion FCFA from January to Septemberas against FCFA 505.4 billion in 2015over the same period. While non-tax revenues and special Treasury accounts stood at 24.9 billion FCFA as at late September 2016 as against 42.6 billion FCFA in 2015, i.e. a decrease of 41.3% as a result of capital losses recordedin the mining and oil sectors.

c)Public Debt Situation

As at 30th September 2016, the outstanding domestic and external public debts stood at 1.7024 trillion as against 1.535 trillion as at the end of December 2015, i.e. an increase of 10.8%, mainly due to the steep rise in domestic debt stock by 23.2%, while outstanding external debt only increased by 6.9%.

The external debt component was estimated at 1201.2 billion FCFA, representing 70% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The structure of this outstanding debt stockreveals that the preponderance is owed to multilateral creditors amounting to 980 billion, representing 81.6% of external debt and 57.4% of the total outstanding.

The amount actually paid to service public debtsin the third quarter of 2016 totalled35.7 billion.

d)Status of Achievement ofConvergence

The status of achievement of convergence is presented as follows:

  • Primary Convergence Criteria

The overall budget balance/grants- to- nominal GDP ratio stood at - 6.5% in 2016 as against - 9.1% in 2015, in contrast to the Community’s normative maximum of - 3.0%. While this is an improvement, the ratio is still below the Community standard, owing to the significant rise in public expenditure than projected budget revenue and coupled with the low level of expected grants.

The average annual inflation rate stood at 1.1% as at the end of September 2016. For the year as a whole, prices are expected to moderately increase thanks to measures put in place by the Government to forestall hikes in prices of daily consumer goods. Such measures include the sale of certain products at reasonable prices, free distribution of food to vulnerable populations, and ensuring stable prices at the oil and gas pumps.

The outstanding domestic/external debt –to- GDP ratio stood at 38.2% in 2016 as against 36.2% in 2015, in contrast to the Community’s normative maximum of 70%.

  • Secondary Convergence Criteria

The wage bill / tax revenue ratio stood at 41.8% in 2016, in contrast to the Community normative maximum of 35%. Thisdecrease in ratio is attributable to a sharp decline in tax revenues, while wage bills continue to increasebased on continued recruitment in the Civil Serviceand increases in certain entitlements.

A mid-term evaluation indicates that, at the end of September 2016, the wages actually paid represented 45.4% of tax revenues.

However, the staff audit conducted within the Civil Service helped to save money thanks to irregularities discovered in some regions.

The tax burden ratio stood at 14.3% in 2016 as against 16.1% in 2015, in contrast to the Community’s normative minimum of 20.0%. This change in the ratio is due to the expected drop in tax revenue.

  1. STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INFRASTRUCTURAL AND TRANSPORT POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES

After five (5) years of implementation of the Renaissance Programme of the President of the Republic, it must be acknowledgedthat great strides have been made by the Government with respect to the implementation of infrastructural programmes.

Through the Renaissance Act IIProgramme, the Government shall step up its investments to open up Niger through the implementation of infrastructural programmes in the following sectors:

  • UrbanInfrastructure

With respect to urbaninfrastructure, the implementation of major infrastructural programmes is underway in Niamey and the capital towns of the respective regions. In fact, within the framework of the beautification of the city of Niamey, two interchanges have been constructed with a third interchange underway,works on the third river bridge shall soon commence, and the construction of afifty (50 ) km highwayin Niamey is expected to be completed by 2017-2018.

The capital towns of the respective regions have been significantly transformed thanks to the December 18festivities hosted on a rotating basis in commemoration of theproclamation of the Republic.

As a matter of fact, these festivities have paved way for the construction ofhighways/roads, the rehabilitation of administrative buildings and the construction of social housing units in the capital towns of the respective regions.

  • Road and Inland Waterway Infrastructure

Within the framework of the development road and inland waterway infrastructure, the specific objectives include:

-Pursue the implementation of national and international highway links (construction of the Zinder-Nigeria Border highway, asphalting of the Arlit-Assamaka (Algeria Border) highway, and theDiffa - Chad Border road segment);

-Ensure the sustainability and maintenance of the road networks/assets;

-Develop and construct atwo thousand seven hundred (2700) km linear network of rural runways;

-rehabilitate and develop a series of roads and networks in the urban centres;

-ensure the diversification and rehabilitation of the watercourse crossings of the NigerRiver and some major waterwaysfor ease of navigability.

  • Railway Infrastructure

Niger will strive to complete the construction of the Cotonou-Niamey railway loop.

Furthermore, Niger is committed in concert with the ECOWAS Member Statesinvolved in this programme, to secure funding sources for the implementation of the railway lines linking Niamey-Ouagadougou-Abidjan,BirniKonni (Niger) - IllelaAmarawa(Nigeria), Zinder-Magaria (Nigerian border) and Maradi-Dan Issa (Niger)to Katsina-Kano (Nigeria).

  • Airport Infrastructure

Difficulties have been encountered in the standardization of the airports and airfields, notably in terms of safety and security among others. Given these major challenges in the air transport sector, the Government resolved to implement the following actions:

The rehabilitation and modernization of the country’s international airports;

-Reinforcement of security facilities in all the airports within the territory of the country.

In addition, plans are underway for the construction of an airport in Dirkou and other smaller airports in some of the capital towns to further enhance the national network.

  • Power Infrastructure

With respect to power infrastructure, Niger has embarked on several projects within the framework of the Economic and Social Development Programme (PDES, 2017-2021)to ensure and guarantee sustainable power supply within the country, as well as to provide theNigerians population with increased access to energy through electrification projects. In view of the actualization of these actions, the Government has set as targets during its second term, the electrification of one thousand (1000) localities, the acquisition of fifteen thousand (15,000) solar lamps for street lighting, two thousand five hundred (2500) optical lights, the installation of five hundred (500) multifunctional village platformunits and the distribution of 1.5 million improved stoves subject to approval of funding by BOAD.

Similarly, Nigerintends to construct a coal complexat Sakadalma in the central northern region of the country. Said complex shall comprise among others, a production plant capable of generating at least 100,000 tons of carbonized mineral coal briquettes per annum. In order to strengthen the institutional framework and improve legislation and regulation of the power sector, the Government has decided to implement the following measures:

  • Strengthening the institutional framework: Effective establishment of thePower Regulatory Authority (Autorité de Régulation du Secteur de l’Energie - ARSE);
  • Improving the legislative and regulatory framework:

Promulgation of Act No. 2016-05 of 17thMay 2017, relating to the electricity codeand adoption of its Implementing provisions/Instruments;Enactment of a law establishing the tax regime applicable to fuel used for the power plants ofthe SociétéNigérienned’Electricité(NIGELEC).

The implementation of this framework will allow the State to develop a program for the physical enumeration of the Administration’s entire power delivery points spread across the national territory for ease of power costcontrol.

In this vein, the completed and ongoing projects listed below have been undertake:

-80 MW Gorou Banda Thermal Plant Project inaugurated on 2ndApril, 2017;

-130 MW Kandadji Hydropower Project, for which tender calls have been launched and works are expected to be completed by 2021;

-Tchirozérine (Agadez) Coal Plant Extension Project.

Thanks to these hydro,thermal, renewable and coal power generation plants, the Government wants Niger to emerge as an energy exporting country.

  1. ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Niger is one of thecountries that is most exposed to climate related hazards. These factors affect in one way or another the performance of the agricultural sector, including and food and nutritional security.

To address these challenges, the Government had developed since late 2011,the 3N Initiativetagged “Nigeriens feed Nigeriens” to ensure food nutritional security, and sustainable agricultural development.

As a sign of its commitment to participate actively in the global call to combat climate change, Niger ratified theUnited Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) on 25th July 1995 and the Protocol thereof on 17thMarch 2004. In order to facilitate the implementation of this agreement,since 1996Niger establishedan institutional frameworknamed: National Environmental Council for Sustainable Development (Conseil National de l'Environnement pour unDéveloppement Durable - CNEDD) along with an Executive Secretariat. One of the primary tasks of the CNEDD is to ensure the formulation of the National Environmental Plan for Sustainable Development (PNEDD) which shall govern all environmental and sustainable developmentpolicies.

In the same vein, several strategic documents have been developed, notably:

-Climate Change and Climate VariabilityNational Strategy and Action Plan (SNPA / HVAC);

-National Action Program for Adaptation to Climate Change (NAPA);

-National Strategy and Action Plan for Global EnvironmentalManagement (SNPA / NCSA).

More recently, following the signing of the Paris Agreement on the limitation of greenhousegas(GHG) emissions, Niger pledged to ratify the latter within the required deadline. This international commitmentnotwithstanding, the Government has set as ultimate objective theriddance of the use of wood as a source of domestic energy.

Already, firm instructions have been given for the prohibition of its use in urban centres.

Campaigns for sensitizationand promotion of the use of mineral coal and gas shall be conducted in thecities and countries throughout our country.

  1. STATE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDG)

After fifteen (15) years of unwavering commitment in the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals, the results achieved by Niger remains mixed.

National performance on primary education for all, the promotion of gender equality, women empowerment and the reduction of infant mortality has remained well below expectations.

On the other hand, Niger has achieved significant results in the fight against hunger and HIV / AIDS.

Like many countries, Niger is now part of the continuation of the Sustainable Development Goals which, since 2015, have taken over the MDGs through 17 objectives.

  1. OTHER PARLIAMENTARY ACTIVITIES

The National Assembly of Niger, in partnership with the ECOWAS Commission, organized from the 3rd to 5th of May 2017, an Inter-parliamentary Forum on ICT for development in the ECOWAS region. The Forum's theme is: Harmonization of ICT policy and legal frameworks in the ECOWAS region for development. The forum was attended by representatives of eleven (11) parliaments of the ECOWAS region plus Morocco. The overall objective of the Forum, as the Chairman of the ICT network clearly pointed out, is to help raise awareness among ECOWAS parliamentarians, on the need to accelerate the transposition of Community texts on ICT in the National legal corpus.