The Minister of Energy and Water - the NBA Supervising Minister in Mali - received the Executive Secretary in audience on Monday 13th April, 2026, as part of an advocacy Mission to national Authorities for a successful implementation of the PIDACC/NB – Mali Component

Prof. Tchiémo Ko TRAORE, the Honourable Minister of Energy and Water, and Supervising Minister of the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) in Mali, received in audience, on Monday 13th April, 2026, H.E. Kocou Armand HOUANYE, the NBA Executive Secretary, H.E. Younoussa BARAZI MAIGA, the Ambassador of the Republic of Mali to Niger and Mr. Nouredine Zakaria TOURE, the Chairman of the Regional Coordinating Unit of Users of the Niger Basin Natural Resources, accompanied by: (i) Mr. Ibro ADAMOU, the Ag Technical Director of the NBA Executive Secretariat, (ii) Mr. Seyni SEYDOU, the PIDACC/NB Regional Coordinator and, (iii) Mrs. Aminata TRAORE BARRY, the Accounting Agent of the NBA Executive Secretariat.

The audience is part of the Mali step, taking place from 12th to 17th April, 2026 in Bamako, of a series of Country advocacy Missions aimed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme for Integrated Development and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Niger Basin (PIDACC/NB 2019 –2027), financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and its partners with a budget of over 232 million US dollars for the benefit of the nine (9) NBA member countries.

The aim of the Mission is to engage with the relevant stakeholders and explore realistic measures that are acceptable to the partners, with a view to significantly enhancing the pace for implementing the PIDACC/NB – Mali Component, whose performance to date still falls short of expectations, with less than two years before its closing date of 31st December, 2027.

Deeply touched by the warm welcome, the Executive Secretary expressed the Delegation’s gratitude for the arrangements made and the facilities provided to ensure an excellent conduct of the Mission. He then took the opportunity to:

- Present the level of implementation of the PIDACC/NB – Mali Component, and;

- Express the hope that, following the Mission, a consistent action plan would be agreed upon by both Parties for an effective achievement of the community and multi-purpose infrastructures planned under the Programme by the end of June 2027.

In the presence of the NBA Supervising Minister, the NBA Executive Secretary also expressed his deep gratitude to H.E. Younoussa BARAZI MAIGA, Ambassador of the Republic of Mali to Niger, for his much-appreciated role as a liaison between the NBA Executive Secretariat in Niamey and the relevant NBA Authorities in Mali in Bamako.

The Executive Secretariat noted that the Mission also includes meetings with other relevant NBA national Authorities in Mali to:

- Brief them on the NBA governance and on the prospects for the preparations and holding, in 2026, of the 13th Conference of the NBA Summit of Heads of State and Government;

- Reiterate its deep appreciation for their sustained contributions towards an NBA which is well-governed and high-performing in fulfilling the Mission entrusted to it by its member countries;

- Get their guidance for consideration in NBA’s development Actions in the Malian part of the Niger Basin.

The Supervising Minister commended and encouraged the NBA Executive Secretary for his commitment and various initiatives for PIDACC/NB’ successful implementation.

Prof. Tchiémo Ko TRAORE reassured the Mission of his determination to work for a significant enhancement of the performance of the PIDACC/NB – Mali Component, which is already underway in 2026. To this end, he committed to even closer monitoring of the Programme, supported by weekly reports which will henceforth be provided to him by the Programme’s National and Strategic Coordinators.

The Minister also declared himself available to respond to any requests aimed to facilitate the implementation of the Programme’s acceleration Action Plan, both in Mali and at the regional level.

The courtesy call concluded on a hopeful note and with a firm commitment from both Authorities to spare no effort for ensuring the timely and successful completion of the community and multi-purpose infrastructures planned under the PIDACC/NB – Mali Component, the physical construction of which will exceed six months. The two Authorities also agreed to meet again at the end of the Mission for a debriefing session on the resulting main conclusions and recommendations.

Courtesy call by the NBA Executive Secretary on the Minister of Sanitation, Hydraulics and Hydrocarbons, Mr. Aboubacar CAMARA, on Monday 23rd March, 2026 in Conakry: The NBA Supervising Minister commits to working with other national Authorities for a successful implementation of PIDACC/NB-Guinea by end of 2027

As part of a series of support and advocacy Missions for speeding up the implementation of the Programme for Integrated Development and Adaptation to Climate Change in the Niger Basin (PIDACC/NB), His Excellency Kocou Armand HOUANYE, the Executive Secretary of the Niger Basin Authority (NBA), who arrived in Conakry on 22nd March, 2026, is taking an official working mission to the Republic of Guinea from 23rd to 27th March, 2026. In addition to the Executive Secretary, the mission includes : (i) Mr. Ibro ADAMOU, the NBA Ag Technical Director, (ii) Mr. Abass FOFANA, the NBA Director of Administration and Finance, and (iii) Mr. Seyni SEYDOU, the Regional Coordinator of PIDACC/NB.

This mission aims to engage with all relevant national Authorities and the Programme’s implementing partners on:

- The Guinea - PIDACC/NB Component’s performance to date;

- Measures required for speeding up the Guinea - PIDACC/NB Component’s implementation rhythm and significantly improving its performance by the end of June 2026;

- Specific recommendations targeting each of the key Stakeholders and Partners involved in implementing the proposed acceleration measures.

At the start of the Conakry Mission, the Executive Secretary and his delegation were received in Audience by Mr. Aboubacar CAMARA, the Honourable Minister of Sanitation, Hydraulics and Hydrocarbons, the NBA Supervising Minister in Guinea, accompanied by his close staff: (i) Mrs. Fatimata DIARAY DIALLO, Chief of Staff to the Minister, (i) Mrs. BAH KABA, Senior Adviser to the Minister, (iii) Mr. IBRAHIMA Sory CAMARA, National Director of Hydraulics, Coordinator of the NBA/NFS in Guinea, (iv) Mr. Mamady CAMARA, National Coordinator of Guinea - PIDACC/NB, and (v) Mrs. Kany DIALLO, Head of the Ministry’s Communication Unit.

Following the warm welcome message by the NBA Supervising Minister, the NBA Executive Secretary expressed his deep gratitude to the Guinea relevant Authorities and outlined the scope of the mission. The NBA Executive Secretary:

- Welcomed and commended the recent progress made in the preparatory work for the construction of community and multi-purpose infrastructures as part of the implementation of the Guinea - PIDACC/NB Component, and;

- Requested the expectations and strategic support of the Supervising Ministry, and of the relevant national Authorities and partners, for implementing the measures required to accelerate the infrastructure part of the Guinea - PIDACC/NB Component.

The NBA Executive Secretary recalled that the Mission will be formalised in an Aide-Memoire that will be enriched, validated and signed by both Parties, and the effective implementation of the recommendations to each of the key Stakeholders and Partners concerned shall enable to turn into green the Programme’s major indicators by 2026 and to trigger the process for preparing and securing the financial resources required for a more ambitious and multi-donor Phase 2.

The NBA Supervising Minister:

- Said he was deeply impressed by the scale of NBA’s investments in the Guinea national part and across the entire Niger Basin, which covers an active part of about 1,500,000 km² and hosts more than 180 million human lives across the nine (9) NBA member countries;

- Committed to paying an even closer attention to issues relating to the Niger Basin and the NBA, as well as to the strategic measures required for successfully implementing PIDACC/NB in Guinea.

The NBA Executive Secretary also took the opportunity to address other equally important issues such as:

- The prospects for the holding of: (i) the 13th NBA Summit of Heads of State and Government (SHSG) in 2026; and (ii) the 45th NBA Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers, preceded by the NBA Meeting of Experts in the 4th quarter of 2026 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire;

- The establishment and upcoming operationalisation of the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Fund in the Niger Basin (RCCAF/NB);

- The release of the national counterpart contribution under the PIDACC/NB;

- The updating of the NBA Shared Vision, and finally;

- The launch, this year, of the process for the preparation of the Programme’ second Phase, the relevance of which is becoming increasingly evident.

In response to the Executive Secretary’s remarks, the Minister:

- Expressed his full satisfaction with the organisation of the Mission, from which he expects relevant recommendations which will help improve the performance of the PIDACC/NB, and;

- Stated his commitment to play his part and declared his willingness to examine and provide his support and assistance for implementing the Mission’s recommendations.

On a more general note, the Minister took the opportunity to put forward several relevant strategic proposals with a view to: (i) Improving the visibility of NBA’s Action, and (ii) Strengthening NBA’s capacities and Mandate to better conduct, together with the member countries, the acceleration of the planning and implementation of large investments linked to both shared water resources and common interest infrastructures in the Niger Basin.

In concluding his remarks, Mr. Aboubacar CAMARA expressed his full optimism and instructed his staff and the Guinea - PIDACC/NB National Coordinating Unit to step up their collaboration to mobilise all the required resources for boosting the Programme’s performance over the remaining implementation period, by 31st December, 2027.

Finally, the Minister of Sanitation, Hydraulics and Hydrocarbons assured the Executive Secretary of his commitment to stepping up close monitoring of the activities of the Guinea - PIDACC/NB Component and NBA, for which, he said, there is still room for hope.

 On Tuesday, March 24, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Energy, Water and Mines of the Republic of Benin, represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Dine Mahma SALIOU, a three (03) day- regional workshop, from March 24 to 26, 2026, of Actors and Partners on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Inland Fishing in the Transboundary Niger Basin, was officially opened at Benin Royal Hotel in Cotonou (Benin).

Ahead to the opening speech delivered by the Minister of Energy, Water and Mines, the Niger Basin Authority (NBA)’s Supervising Minister in Benin, following speeches were delivered respectively by: (i) The Coordinator of the NBA’s National Focal Structure (NFS) in Benin, Director General of Water (DGEau), Mr. Saïd Kolawolé HOUNKPONOU, (ii) the Assistant to the Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Benin, Mr. Mohamed Sanni Bio YERIMA, (iii) the World Bank Representative in Benin, Ms. Bérengère PRINCE on behalf of the NBA Partners and the NBA Executive Secretary, represented by the Director of the Niger Basin Observatory, Mr. Didier Sèyivè ZINSOU.

 This regional workshop, co-convened by FAO, NBA and partners, aims to: (i) ensure the integrated management of water resources as well as associated ecosystems and inland fishing in the Transboundary Basin of the Niger Basin and, (ii) co-design joint initiatives, while mobilizing the required resources for their implementation.

Specific objectives of the Regional Workshop include:

- To review the current status of inland fishing and other key agri-food systems in the Niger Transboundary Basin;
- To introduce participants to the FAO intersectoral framework for integrated basin assessment and agri-food systems management using inland fishing as an entry point;
- To further develop pilot initiatives demonstrating the effective integration of inland fishing using IWRM approaches; and
- To identify opportunities to mobilize financial and technical resources to support sustainable investments in inland fishing using IWRM approaches in the Niger Basin.

The expected outcomes of this workshop are as follows:

1. Validated country profiles and a shared understanding of cross-cutting issues.
2. Collaborative development, among the countries, of pilot project concepts for the sub-basins.
3. National focal points able to begin the scoping and baseline data establishment work for Phase 1.
4. A joint roadmap, including a timeline, responsibilities, and resource mobilization strategies.
5. Identification of opportunities for cross-border cooperation among the sub-basins.

 About fifty participants are attending the regional workshop in person, while around twenty participated online. These included representatives from: (i) international financing and development institutions, (ii) pan-African and regional institutions, (iii) national institutions responsible for IWRM and inland fisheries in NBA member states, and (iv) the NBA Executive Secretariat. The workshop's outcomes and conclusions form the basis for long-term collaboration between NBA and FAO: the development of a memorandum of understanding and the implementation of regional projects in the Niger Basin. This workshop shall provide an opportunity to translate national knowledge into transboundary pilot projects that integrate fisheries into the governance of the Niger River Basin.

Niamey, March 24, 2026, the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) hosted a delegation from the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE), for a technical exchange meeting aimed at strengthening their cooperation for integrated, sustainable and resilient development in the Niger Basin countries. The meeting, held at the NBA Executive Secretariat headquarters in Niamey, was chaired by Mr. Alioum Ousmanou, acting as Acting Executive Secretary.