Works [Overseas] West Africa
Project to Strengthen the Capacity of the National Office of Hydro-Agricultural Facilities for the Promotion of Irrigated Rice Cultivation, Republic of Niger |
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2018 - 2021
Niger is a country located in the Sahara Desert in Africa. About two-thirds of the country's land area (1.27 million km2) is covered by the Sahara Desert under harsh natural conditions, making it one of the poorest countries in the world. Since agriculture is rain-fed and dependent on rainfall, the government of Niger aims to expand irrigated farmland from 120,000 ha in 2015 to 358,000 ha in 2021 in order to increase the production of rice and other crops. Established in 1978 as the country's central agency for large-scale paddy field development, the Organization for National Agricultural and Hydrological Development (ONAHA) underwent a change in its business model in the late 1980s due to a change in policy toward privatization of government agencies, and the organization declined and its equipment deteriorated. However, in 2016, in order to achieve the 3N Initiative, the government of this country revised its privatization policy, and the law clearly stipulates that ONAHA will once again play a central role in the development and maintenance of irrigated agricultural lands as a public institution. On the other hand, much of ONAHA's existing equipment had become obsolete, and it was essential for the agency to upgrade and expand its equipment in order to fulfill the aforementioned role. Against this background, the Government of Niger formulated the "Project to strengthen the capacity of the National Office of Hydro-Agricultural Facilities for the development of irrigated rice cultivation" to promote irrigated agriculture development, and requested Japan's grant aid assistance. This project aims to provide the necessary equipment for the development and maintenance of irrigated agricultural infrastructure, to ensure a stable water supply to irrigation beneficiaries, and to increase crop area, production, productivity, and income. |
