For accelerating the PIDACC/NB-Niger execution and delivering Expected Results, by the end of 2027: The NBA Executive Secretariat Delegation Courtesy and Working Visits to (i) the AfDB Country Office in Niger and (ii) the EU Delegation in Niger

From February 27th to March 3rd, 2026, the Executive Secretary of the Niger Basin Authority (NBA), H.E. Kocou Armand HOUANYE, led a Support and Advocacy Mission to Benin. This Mission was designed to engage with the relevant Authorities and Partners to catalyse the implementation of the Programme for the Integrated Development and Adaptation to Climate Change in Niger (PIDACC/NB-Niger). For this Mission, the NBA Executive Secretary was accompanied by Mr. Ibro ADAMOU, Ag. Technical Director of the NBA Executive Secretariat; Mr. Seydou SEYNI, Regional Coordinator of the PIDACC/NB; and Mr. Abdou EL HADJI MAMAN, Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Expert of the PIDACC/NB.

This Mission is part of the implementation of the related Resolution adopted by the NBA Council of Ministers at its 44th Ordinary Session held on December 5th, 2026, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Beyond the meetings with Mr. Awali RABO, Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment Hydraulics and Sanitation (MEH/S), representing the NBA Supervising Minister in Niger, the delegation conducted extensive working sessions with stakeholders from national institutions, which include the National Coordinating Unit and the NBA National Focal Structure (NFS) in Niger, that also provides Strategic Coordination to the PIDACC/NB-Niger and the National Coordinating Unit of PIDACC/NB-Niger (PNCU-Niger). Following these meetings, the NBA Executive Secretariat delegation also met with:

- Mr. Mamadou TANGARA, Head of the AfDB Group Niger Country Office, who was accompanied by his colleagues, namely Mr. Ablassé BILGO, PIDACC/NB Coordinator at the Bank’s Headquarters (participating virtually), Mr. Firmin BRI, Senior Operations Officer, Mrs. Fatoumata Bintou DIALLO, Senior Expert in Agriculture and Rural Development, and Mr. Agossou Sabas SONOU, Environmental and Social Safeguards and Compliance Specialist; and

- Mrs. Nicoletta AVELLA, Head of the Section for Rural Development and Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, accompanied by Mr. Sani RIGO, Programme Officer of the European Union Delegation (EUD) to the Republic of Niger.

Throughout the Mission, the NBA Executive Secretariat delegation was extended to a most cordial and warm welcome. The meetings afforded the Executive Secretary the opportunity to:
- Convey the NBA’s deep appreciation to its Strategic Partners for their unwavering support throughout the preparation, funding, and implementation of PIDACC/NB;

- Engage in dialogue with NBA Partners on (i) the current implementation status of PIDACC/NB-Niger, less than two years before the Programme’s closure on December 31, 2027, (ii) the diligent measures required from Stakeholders and Partners to significantly improve the Programme’s performance by June 2026, (iii) the ongoing operational process of the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Fund in the Niger Basin (RCCAF/NB), and (iv) the imminent reconvening of the NBA Partners Advisory Committee, while counting on the effective participation of the European Union Commission, and (v) preliminary roadmap for the timely launch of the Programme’s Phase 2 formulation process.

Furthermore, at the EUD-Niger Representation, the Executive Secretary underscored the necessity of enhanced local support to strengthen cooperation between the NBA and the European Union Commission (EUC) for the well-being of the more than 180 million inhabitants of the Niger Basin. The NBA Executive Secretary also took the opportunity to reaffirm the priority accorded by the PIDACC/NB-Niger to the timely implementation of capacity-building sessions for Decentralized Technical Services (DTS) and State Partners, in strict accordance with the EUC funding requirements.

Mrs. Nicoletta AVELLA: (i) commended the approach of the NBA Executive Secretary, together with the Regional Coordinating Unit of PIDACC/NB (PRCU) and NCUP-Niger; (ii) reassured the full commitment of the EU Delegation for Niger (EUD-Niger) to continue facilitating the successful implementation of PIDACC/NB-Niger; and (iii) expressed the EUD-Niger’s desire for strengthened communication between the PIDACC/NB funding and implementation partners. To this end, both Parties formally committed to a collaborative framework aimed at enhancing the cooperation between the NBA and the EUC.

At the African Development Bank (AfDB), the NBA Executive Secretary engaged with the Head of the AfDB Group Country Office in Niger, to advocate for the approval of the national-level request for measures designed to speed up the implementation of the PIDACC/NB-Niger. He noted that this would facilitate the implementation of the Roadmap developed for the Programme’s infrastructure component.

In response, the Head of the African Development Bank Group Country Office in Niger reassured the NBA Executive Secretary of his commitment to accelerating the implementation of the PIDACC/NB-Niger and the Programme as a whole, particularly by facilitating the expeditious processing of all outstanding files.

The Head of the Bank’s Country Office in Niger nevertheless highlighted:

- The need for the Regional Coordinating Units (RCUs) and the National Coordinating Units (NCUs) to ensure that they submit high-quality files to the Bank to facilitate their prompt processing;

- The importance that the African Development Bank Group places on the full operationalization process of the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Fund in the Niger Basin, as well as on the mobilization of national counterpart funding.

Throughout the audiences, the Parties expressed a shared determination to work towards a significant improvement in the performance of the PIDACC/NB-Niger by June 2026. This strategic acceleration is vital to strengthening the resilience of the Niger Basin’s populations and ecosystems, by the Programme’s revised closing date of December 31, 2027.