As part of the financing of the Project of strengthening the supply of drinking water and sanitation and to improve resilience in Zinder, Mirriah and surrounding villages, the Board of Directors of the African Development Fund approved a loan of 165.5 million dollars in Niger.

The Water Supply Strengthening Project drinking and sanitation and resilience improvement will be implemented over a period of five years. It concerns the cities of Zinder and Mirriah as well as the surrounding villages, covering a population of over 600,000 inhabitants. The rate of access to drinking water only reached 53.4% while that basic sanitation coverage is less than 6.1%, with a rate of defecation in the open air exceeding 76.5%. The initiative responds to critical challenges, including population growth of 3.8% per year, a fragility linked to poverty and insecurity, and the vulnerability of households accentuated by economic sanctions.

According to the acting head of the country office of African Bank development in Niger Firmin Bri, “this project will ensure equitable access to drinking water and sanitation for more of one million inhabitants while strengthening resilience in the face of poverty, to climate change and health risks.”

The project will develop infrastructure water and sanitation for the benefit of 600,000 people thanks to new boreholes, water towers and 150 kilometers of networks of distribution as well as to a faecal sludge treatment plant for autonomous sanitation. It will create 12,000 social connections, 50 fire hydrants, 5,000 family latrines, 200 institutional latrines, 100 public buildings and a faecal sludge treatment plant.

Also, this program will raise awareness among more than 500,000 people (51% of whom are women) with problems of water, hygiene, health and climate. 50 women fire hydrant managers and 100 managers of public buildings (60% women) will be supported through this program. It will equip the waste collectors with six dump trucks and ten manual tricycles.

Likewise, the project will support 150 apprentices (50% of whom are women) and 20 technicians in trades electricians, plumbers and sanitation workers. It will develop ten vegetable gardens and a perimeter downstream of the treatment station, and will distribute menstrual hygiene kits. Over 300 pieces of equipment post-harvest will be provided to women to alleviate household chores and the increase in their income.