News Archives

• Food Shortage after Failed Harvest, Government Responds
• General Interest
• The North and Foreign Affairs
• HIV/AIDS

Food Shortage after Failed Harvest, Government Responds

• France Grants US$6.7m "France has given Niger eight billion francs CFA (US $10.7 million) in budgetary support, PANA reported on Saturday. Of this, 2.1 billion CFA (US
  2.8 million) will go to road maintenance and 1.2 billion (US $1.6 million)
  to poverty alleviation." PANA, 30 July 2001
• WFP launches emergency appeal "The United Nations' World Food
  Programme (WFP) appealed on Wednesday for donor support for a US $5-mllion emergency operation to help 200,000 people affected by malnutrition as a result of prolonged drought in Niger, WFP reported in Abidjan.Poor harvests brought on by insufficient rainfall have led to food shortages in Niger. Over 4,000 of the country's 10,094 villages have food deficits of over 50 percent, WFP reported. More than one-third of Niger's 10 million inhabitants are affected by the shortages. The WFP emergency operation targets over 200,000 people living in the regions of Diffa, Zinder, Maradi, Tahoua, Tillabery, Dosso and Agadez. It aims to provide 7,162 mt of food to families suffering from malnutrition. The aid will be channelled through health centres, food-for-work activities and cereal banks.Food shortages have also forced thousands of people to leave their villages in search of food. The WFP operation aims to encourage families to stay in their villages and focus on whatever crop production is possible under the circumstances." IRIN, 25 July 2001
• Ranet: A weather eye on Africa "Modern methods are bringing weather information to the people of Niger." Financial Times, 18 June 2001
• State, donors confront food crisis "Niger's government hopes to be able to provide its most vulnerable populations with enough low-cost cereals to tide them over until the first cereal harvests in August, state officials said on Tuesday." IRIN, 30 May 2001
• Food Deficit Causes Displacement "Poor harvests brought on by drought have displaced an unspecified number of people in Niger, according to state officials. The Foreign Ministry said a shortfall of 163,000 mt in the 2000 agricultural season had affected an area that has nearly 3.6 million inhabitants - 35 percent of Niger's population." IRIN, 23 May 2001
• FAO Anti-Desertification Project "The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today announced an agreement with a regional African group designed to promote food security, rural development, environmental protection and desertification control through assessments of natural resources. Signed in Rome with the Community of Sahel-Saharian States (CEN-SAD), the new cooperation accord emphasizes the importance of ..." UN, 18 May 2001
• African Meteorologists Meet in Niamey "Meteorologists from 21 African countries and France met in Niamey, Niger, Wednesday to discuss co-operation in meteorological services.", PANA 17 May 2001
• Government Asks Morocco to Make Rain "Niger has asked Morocco to help it with rainmaking in a bid to combat serious drought and an ensuing famine threatening over three million people in the country, AFP reported state radio as saying on Tuesday." IRIN 9 May 2001
• WFP to Help Over 7,000 Affected By Drought "The World Food Programme (WFP) is to distribute aid to thousands of people affected by drought in Zinder, southern Niger, under its Immediate Response Emergency Operation, WFP said in an emergency report on Friday." IRIN 8 May 2001
• WFP to Help Over 7,000 Affected By Drought "The World Food Programme (WFP) is to distribute aid to thousands of people affected by drought in Zinder, southern Niger, under its Immediate Response Emergency Operation, WFP said in an emergency report on Friday", PANA 8 May 2001
• Food Aid From Luxembourg "Luxembourg has donated 420 mt of millet to Niger's government for distribution to 53 villages suffering from famine, the Panafrican News Agency (PANA) reported. The food relief is in response to an appeal in late March by Niger's government, which had said that about one million people were threatened with famine, PANA reported.", IRIN 07 May 2001
• UEMOA Members Meet to Streamline Agricultural Policy "Representatives of farmer organisations of the eight-member States of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) entered their second day of meeting Friday in Niamey trying to formulate an agricultural policy for the sub-region.", PANA 04 May 2001
• Luxembourg Offers Niger Villages Food Assistance "The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has granted food relief amounting to 420 tonnes of millet to 53 famine-stricken villages in Niger, official sources in Niamey said Thursday.", PANA 03 May 2001
• Niger's Biggest Labour Union Appeals for Food Aid "The Niger Workers' Trade Unions (USTN) took advantage of May Day celebrations on Tuesday to launch an international appeal for food to feed the country's famine-stricken population.", PANA 02 May 2001
• Le Code rural, un instrument de développement à la base "The rural Code, an instrument of grassroots development.", PANA 13 Apr 2001
• Government Sends SOS Against Famine. "The government of Niger has sent out and urgent appeal for emergency aid of some 60,000 tonnes of cereals for May-August to avert the wave of famine in the country.", PANA 6 Apr 2001
• Opposition Accuses Niger Parliament of Mismanagement "Niger's opposition Friday demanded an audit of the accounts of the National Assembly (Parliament) insisting that those "found guilty of embezzlement of public funds" should be punished according to the law.", PANA Apr 6 2001
• US $11.2 millions for rural projects, IRIN 26 Mar 2001
• Appeal for food aid, IRIN 26 Mar 2001
• Saudi Arabia donates vaccines, IRIN 16 Mar 2001
• ADB reduces poverty, supports water project, IRIN 9 Mar 2001
• President Tandja Initiates Dam Project , PANA 11 January 2001
• Environment Ministers Meet In Niamey , PANA 11 January 2001
• French Group Vivendi Buys Niger Water Company , PANA 10 January 2001
• ICRISAT Develops Seed Bank , PANA 26 December 2000
• Needy Regions Get Preferential Food Sales in Niger , PANA December 24, 2000
• Donors Write Off US$951m Of Foreign Debt , PANA 23 December 2000
• France Grants $5.5m Aid To Support Budget , PANA 20 December 2000
• Niger: Government Gets Parliamentary Nod to Rule By Edicts , PANA December 2, 2000
• 4 Million Threatened , PANA 22 November 2000
• Famine threatens over a third of Niger population "[T]he government was planning to switch to irrigated agriculture on 54,864 ha of land"-PANA, November 10, 2000
• Desert Fridge Cooling foods when there's not a socket around
  
  [Scientific American]
• [Project Document ]
  "Northern Nigeria is an impoverished region where people in rural communities eke out a living from subsistence farming. With no electricity, and therefore no refrigeration, perishable foods spoil within days. Such spoilage causes disease and loss of income for needy farmers, who are forced to sell their produce daily. Nigerian teacher Mohammed Bah Abba was motivated by his concern for the rural poor and by his interest in indigenous African technology to seek a practical, local solution to these problems. His extremely simple and inexpensive earthenware "Pot-in-Pot" cooling device is starting to revolutionise lives in this semi-desert area." , Project Document
• West African bank funds water scheme

General Interest

• Niger gripped by 'Sultangate' "The controversy over the sacking of the Sultan of Zinder, the highest of Niger's traditional chiefs, has been dubbed by the country's press as Sultangate. " BBC, 30 July 2001
• Niger palace stripped of possessions "
  State-run radio in Niger says the palace of the former Sultan of Zinder, Aboubacar Sanda, has been ransacked." BBC, 26 July 2001
• New sultan appointed in Niger "A new Sultan of Zinder is appointed in Niger following the recent sacking of Elhadj Aboubacar Sanda." BBC, 23 July 2001
• Powerful regional leader in Niger suspended
  "The Sultan of Zinder stands accused of plotting to overthrow the government, among other charges." BBC, 29 June 2001
• Perpetrators of Female Gentital Mutalation to Be Jailed "Niger's criminal code has been amended to include penalties ranging from six months to three years for perpetrators of female genital mutilation (FGM), and of 10 to 20 years if such an operation results in death, PANA reported", IRIN, 16 May 2001
• Niger students switch tactics "Students hold a peaceful demonstration in Niamey, after abandoning an 11-day hunger strike at the parliament building." BBC, 13 May 2001
• Incendie dans un marché de Niamey "Plus d'une dizaine de boutiques ont été brûlées dimanche à la suite d'un incendie qui s'est déclaré au marché de Katako à Niamey, ont rapporté plusieurs témoins. L'incendie, qui a été provoqué par un court-circuit, a été vite maîtrisé par les sapeurs-pompiers. On ne déplore aucune perte en vie humaine." PANA 04 May 2001
• Benin Press to Join Niger Story Telling Festival "The Association of Benin Cultural Journalists (AJCB) would take part in an international story telling festival coming up in Dogondoutchi, Niger 18-21 April, AJCB sources in Cotonou say", PANA, 12 Apr 2001
• Government Urges Niger University Students to Resume Classes "Niger's Higher Education and Research minister Amadou Laouel has appealed to Niamey University students to resume classes immediately and save the 2000-2001 academic year", PANA 11 Apr 2001
• Niger: Special committee set up on border dispute With Benin, IRIN, 08 Feb 2001
• Media watchdog calls for dialogue, IRIN, 06 Mar 2001
• Opposition demands university's opening, IRIN, 27 Feb 2001
• Students and police clash, IRIN, 23 Feb 2001
• Police Search For US Envoy's Killer, PANA 26 December 2000
• The Military Attaché to the US Embassy in Niamey Assasinated by Men in Turbans, PANA 23 December 2000
• Construction of nearly 1,000 schools in 1000 villages announced, PANA 22 December 2000
• Academics Discuss Future of African Universities, PANA 22 December 2000
• Niger Launches Tourist Season, PANA 21 December 2000
• Two Cell Phone Licences Allocated, PANA 21 December 2000
• Government frees 239 Muslim militants "Police in Niger have released 239 Muslim militants arrested almost two weeks ago during protests against a fashion show " , IRIN, 20 November 2000
• Opposition suspends protests, 20 November 2000
• Government dissolves Islamic organisations "Niger's interior ministry has dissolved seven Islamic organisations following last week's protests by Muslim demonstrators against an international fashion festival which they described as 'satanic'. " , IRIN, 13 November 2000
• Islamic groups banned in fashion row

The North and Foreign Affairs

• Port Congestion In Nigeria Stalls Transhipments to Niger, Burkina Faso "Efforts by Landlocked African countries to use the Nigerian ports as a transit point for onward shipment of their cargoes may have been stalled following the congestion presently at the Nigerian ports" Vanguard, 16 July 2001
  
• France Supports Programme for Ex-Fighters "France has allocated 100 million fCFA (US $130,000) to Niger as part of its ongoing support for a programme to reintegrate former fighters into civilian life, AFP reported on Monday. The programme, begun in 1998, involves some 660 members of the Toubou ethnic group who took up arms in 1994-1998 to press demands for self-governance for the mainly Toubou region of Diffa in
  southeastern Niger." IRIN, 07 July 2001
• Benin, Niger Take Dispute to the Hague "Benin and Niger have signed an agreement to submit their border dispute to the International Court of Justice at The Hague, The Netherlands, for resolution, the Panafrican News Agency reported on Thursday", IRIN, 23June 2001
• Crying in the Desert, Govt Pays Deaf Ears "Despite the out cry of people in the desert of northern Niger as a result of drought, the Government has paid deaf ears to their plight and demanded the conduct of a national census" Expo Times, Freetown, 28 May 2001
• Nigerians Fuss Over High Tariff On Niger Goods "Nigerian businessmen have complained to their counterparts from Niger Republic about the high tariff imposed on goods from that country. According to them, this situation has resulted in an unfavourable trade relations between the two countries." The Post Express, Lagos, 21 May 2001
• Libya Finances Three Projects in Niger "Libya is to finance three projects of over 6.5 billion francs CFA (about 9 million dollars) in Niger involving the drilling of bore holes, construction of roads and renovation of airport runways." PANA, 18 May 2001
• Tandja Flown to Morocco for Treatment "Niger President Mamadou Tandja was flown Wednesday to Morocco for treatment for and undisclosed ailment, informed sources said.", PANA 2 May 2001
• Six Killed As Police Clash With Niger Rebels "At least, six persons including a Police Inspector, were yesterday killed during a bloody clash between a group of Niger nationals suspected to be rebels and police in Maiduguri, Borno State capital.", This Day, 11 Apr 2001
• Niger: Tourists survive attack by bandits, IRIN, 2 Feb 2001
• Holding High "The Flame of Peace" With Touaregs , PANA 11 January 2001
• Niger Launches Tourist Season , PANA 21 December 2000
• MALI-NIGER: Fighting banditry in the southern Sahara, IRIN 23 Nov 2000
• Expelled Niger nationals stranded in the Sahara, IRIN 17 Oct 2000
• Niger Embassy in Libya ransacked by mob, IRIN 02 Oct 2000
• Northern Rebel Weapons destroyed in Cerimony, IRIN 26 Sep 2000

HIV/AIDS

• HIV/AIDS awareness campaign launched in Niger: "Niger has launched an awareness campaign on the effects of HIV/AIDS with emphasis on preventive measures and social acceptance of people with the virus, the Panafrican News Agency (PANA) reported on Thursday. The campaign, which counsels fidelity among couples and voluntary testing for the virus, is being backed by the United States Agency for Development. Estimates are that there are 65,000 HIV infected in Niger." IRIN, 15 June 2001
• Niger Religious Leaders Urged to Join HIV/AIDS Campaign "Niger's religious leaders have been enjoined to add their voices to the campaign against HIV-AIDS and sexually transmissible diseases (STDs)." PANA, 14 May 2001
• AIDS in Africa, "Aids kills some 6,000 people each day in Africa - more than wars, famines and floods. Millions of children are orphans, many more live with HIV or Aids. This special report, with correspondents’ despatches, key facts, audio, video and interviews, asks why the devastation continues." BBC
• AIDS vaccine shows promise in monkey tests  , CNN, 09 March 2001
• Death Of A Continent, This Day (Lagos), EDITORIAL, December 2, 2000
• French NGO Urges Pharmaceutical Firms to Slash AIDS Drugs Prices, PANA, December 2, 2000
• Why Men Have The Key To Curbing The Aids Pandemic, IRIN, November 30, 2000
• New UN Data: Global Spread Of HIV/AIDS Epidemic Exceeds Past Predictions , United Nations PRESS RELEASE November 30, 2000