Democracy, Human Rights, Governance, and Conflict
NIGER FACT SHEET
The 2020-2021 local and national elections were the third time since 2011 that citizens democratically elected new leaders, and the first time that power passed peacefully via elections from one civilian president to the next. However, Niger is facing widespread insecurity and persistent threats from violent extremist groups, including Al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat Al-Islam Wal-Muslimin and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara in the tri-border area of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, and Boko Haram in the south-eastern Diffa region, as well as increased internal conflicts and crime. Weaknesses in governance, lack of services, economic opportunities, and justice increase community-based conflicts and increase vulnerability to violent extremist recruitment. Women, youth, and marginalized populations are often disproportionately affected.
Our Work
Since Niger’s return to democratic rule in 2011, the United States has supported efforts to improve participatory democratic governance, increase transparency, fight corruption, expand civil liberties, and build Nigeriens’ resilience to violent extremism. In addition to supporting democratic values, practices, and institutions, USAID is helping the Nigerien government to provide quality public services, answer citizens' needs and concerns, and improve access to justice and human rights protection. It is also supporting civil society efforts to accelerate the pace of ongoing reforms, reduce conflicts in their communities and advance Women, Peace, and Security initiatives.
Democratic Institutions Provide For Free And Fair Elections
Ahead of the 2020-2021 local, parliamentary, and presidential elections, USAID supported preparations for a peaceful and credible democratic transition, including political dialogue, drafting a revised electoral code and electoral procedures, capacity building of political parties, voter registration and education, and prevention of electoral violence. USAID supports the implementation of post elections strategic priorities, capacity building for the national independent election commission and increased awareness among political parties, civil society organizations and citizens on needed electoral reforms. USAID also trained a total of 71 newly elected members of parliament (MPs), including every woman MP (52 women), on their roles, the national budget, and legislative and regulatory drafting techniques. USAID will be preparing to support additional electoral system reforms ahead of the 2025 national elections.
Government Institutions More Transparent, Accountable, And Responsive To Citizen Needs
Improved delivery of public services and more accountable government institutions lead to confidence in the State to advance the social and economic well-being of the people of Niger. USAID supports more effective governance systems to ensure public institutions are more capable, better able to manage their resources, and implement improved policies to deliver priority public services more effectively in ways that are perceived as equitable and fair. USAID also supports increased citizen engagement in planning, budgeting, and strengthening service improvement, as well as improved citizen mobilization, advocacy, and dialogue with the government. This includes support for transfer of planning, resource allocation, and management responsibilities to the local levels to better reach citizens. USAID is expanding women’s participation in local decision-making and gender-responsive service delivery.
Respect For Justice, Fundamental Human Rights, And Civil Liberties
USAID is helping the people of Niger to know their rights and have better access to justice in three key conflict-affected regions- Tillaberi, Tahoua, and Diffa. This includes engagement with traditional conflict mediation mechanisms and the formal justice system, to allow citizens and communities to peacefully resolve conflicts, settle long-standing disputes or address human rights violations.
Collaboration To Reduce Conflicts & Vulnerability To Violent Extremism
For conflict prevention and to improve the security of communities in areas affected by conflict, USAID brings together community leaders, government and security forces, and citizens to increase their skills to peacefully communicate and address ongoing sources of tension. This includes addressing inter-community conflicts, and conflicts related to land and natural resource management between farmers and herders. At the national level, USAID assisted the Nigerien government in drafting its first national strategy for countering violent extremism and developing solutions to improve security and reduce conflicts. To reduce the risk of Nigerien youth being recruited by violent extremist groups, USAID increases youth participation in political and economic life, interethnic cooperation and social cohesion in conflict-affected zones.
Our Goals
- Ensure more consensual, transparent, and inclusive elections, and political processes.
- Boost government transparency and responsiveness to citizen needs.
- Improve capacity of citizens and non-governmental actors to take collective action.
- Strengthen civic participation, specifically of youth, women and girls, in governance.
- Increase citizens' access to justice, and respect for human rights.
- Address drivers of violent extremism and support community peace building.
Select List of USAID Democracy, Rights, Governance, and Conflict-Related Programming
Niger Access to Justice and Human Rights “Adalci,” Freedom House, Search for Common Ground, American Bar Association, PACT; September 2020 – September 2024; $14.9 million
The Adalci activity is bolstering pathways to justice with the goal of reducing vulnerability to violent extremism (VE) by strengthening tools to address core grievances that drive extremism in Niger. Objectives include: 1) improved capacity of customary and other local conflict mediation mechanisms in VE-prone target areas to address grievances and resolve disputes; 2) Populations in VE-prone areas are empowered to navigate and access the formal justice system to resolve their disputes or assert their rights; and 3) Government of Niger and civil society organizations have increased capacity to address VE-related human rights violations committed by both state and non-state actors. Geographic areas of activities include Diffa (Diffa, Nguigmi, Toumour, and Gueskerou), Tillaberi (Sakouara, Abala, Damana and Simiri), and Tahoua (Tebaram and Takanamat) regions.
Resilient Governance in Niger (RGN) “Jagoranci,” Counterpart International; March 2021 – March 2026; $19.7 million
RGN is strengthening the performance of local institutions at the regional and commune level through interventions to build local ownership, accountability, and improved incentives for change. RGN’s objectives are: 1) Communal authorities, traditional leaders, and regional representatives of the Government of Niger understand their respective local governance roles and responsibilities, and engage in more effective intergovernmental communications and collaboration to address community needs, especially those of women, youth, and other marginalized populations; 2) Communal governments more accountably plan, manage and execute budgets, ensure provision of basic services, and mobilize financial and human resources in support of locally-determined development priorities; and 3) Citizens and local civil actors know their rights, have greater agency to engage in communal governance processes, and actively exercise these rights through institutionalized and ad-hoc mechanisms. RGN is supporting 19 municipalities, including those supported under USAID’s Resilience Food Security Assistance projects in Maradi (Guidan Roumdji, Chadakori, Guidan Sori, Goura Gouri) and Zinder (Dungass, Goushi, Dogo Dogo, Bandé, DamaKaram Takaya, Dantchio, Guidimundi, Kwaya, Magaria, Malawa, Mazamni, Sassoumbroum, Wacha, Guidiguiri) regions, as well as in Tillabéri (Say, Kouré, Kollo). Activities include flexible funding mechanisms to facilitate adaptation to a fluid environment, test new innovations, scale up emerging best practices, and respond to crises.
Sahel Human Voice in Governance Activity (SHIGA), Financial Services Volunteers Corps (FSVC); July 2019 – December 2023; $12 million
SHIGA’s goal is for Niger’s civil society to engage the government more effectively, and for key government institutions to be more effective in their mandates and meet the needs of citizens. Main objectives include: 1) Civil society organizations more actively and effectively hold the government accountable and build demand for targeted policy reforms and improved government implementation; 2) Targeted government institutions are more accountable to citizens, and more effective and transparent in their operations; and 3) Constructive engagement spaces between citizens, civil society and the state to identify and implement targeted priority reforms are created and/or strengthened. This includes intensive capacity-building and mentoring of target groups of civil society organizations working on key themes, with a focus in 2023 on implementation of Women, Peace, and Security initiatives in Niamey, Tillaberi, and Diffa.
CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION
USAID NIGER
MISSION
Democracy, Rights, Governance and Conflict Office
