• Reference: P-NE-IA0-005
• Approval date: 03/12/2003
• Start date: 10/02/2004
• Appraisal Date: 05/09/2003
• Status: On goingOnGo
• Location: territoire national
• Implementing Agency: MINISTERE DE L'AGRICULRURE ET DE L'ENVIR

Context

Despite the significant progress resulting from the Government efforts to develop education, the sector’s performance is still weak.  To rectify the situation the Government has initiated several actions the most recent of which concern the new Framework Law on Education adopted in May 1998 and the ensuing 2003-2013 Ten-Year Education Development Programme. This ten-yearl approach addresses Niger's educational and training concerns and is consistent with the orientations of OAU's Decade of Education, the United Nations Special Initiative on Africa, and the  Dakar Framework for Action on Education for All (EFA).

A single reference and coordination framework in support of the harmonious development of education in Niger, the PDDE aims to foster the quantitative and qualitative development of the country’s human potential. More specifically, by speeding up enrolment, reducing illiteracy and improving education quality all of which are key strategic objectives.  The World Food Program (WFP) was closely associated with the project preparation and appraisal, at the end of which it agreed to support project schools by setting up school canteens under its 2004-2007 programme aimed at providing the country’s schools with 29,901 tons of food products for an estimated US$17,318,848.

Rationale

The project is justified by the fact that it will enable the country to:

1. improve access to, and the quality of education for basic cycles 1 and 2;
2. support girls’ enrolment and literacy education for adults, in particular women;
3. improve school health and intensify the fight against STI/HIV/AIDS in schools; and
4. strengthen project management.

 

Objective

The specific objectives are to:

1. expand access to, and strengthen equity and quality of basic education cycles 1 and 2;
2. improve school health and intensify the fight against STD/HIV/AIDS in schools; and
3. build the institutional capacity of basic education.

 

Description

The project comprises four components:

1. improve access to, and quality of basic education cycles 1 and 2;
2. support for girls’ enrolment and women’s literacy education;
3. improvement of school health and the fight against STI/HIV/AIDS in the school environment; and
4. project management.

 

Impact

Significant financial resources will be injected into the economy of Niger through the investments that will be made. The private sector will be a prime beneficiary, especially through the preparation of architectural and engineering designs, the implementation of construction work, and the procurement of goods. There will, therefore, be job creation, increased consumption of goods and services, without calculating the long-term effects of the human investment made through the education and training of the beneficiaries. Small and medium enterprises will win contracts and create employment.

Furthermore, the project will contribute to implementation of the Ten-Year Education Development Programme, which constitutes a major step in the development of Niger’s human resources. The country must not only make up for lost time by increasing access to various levels of education and improving education quality, but must also develop its human resources potential as a factor of economic and social advancement within a context of international trade driven by globalization. The long-term impact of implementing this ten-year programme should, by upgrading skills, lead to the emergence of new types of employment related to national, regional, and international markets, thus contributing to poverty reduction.

The project’s contribution to girls’ educational development is reflected not only in terms of increasing access but also in quality improvement through higher success rates, continued schooling, and greater capacity to integrate harmoniously into various spheres of social life. The project will also contribute to girls’ educational success at various levels of the educational system even as at will raise the marital age and reduce early maternity and lead to greater democratization  of society, with women given pride of place in  running the community and sharing national wealth. Mother and child health will also be improved by the project.

NYIRINKWAYA Emmanuel - OSHD2

Finance source	Amount
ADF	UAC 12,000,000
Government	UAC 1,330,000
Total	UAC 13,330,000