The Nigerien office of the Millennium Challenge Corporation has decided to suspend the regional compact granted in 2018 and endorsed in December 2022. The funding allocated to Niger, nearly USD 302 million, was intended, among other things, for the upgrading of the Dosso-Niamey route, a 127 km section.
In December 2022, the governments of the United States, Benin, and Niger signed a significant regional grant agreement with the Millennium Challenge Corporation. The USD 504 million Grant Agreement was designated for the Benin-Niger Regional Transport Program. The allocated funding for Niger, nearly USD 302 million, was intended, among other things, for the upgrading of the Dosso-Niamey route, a 127 km section.
However, due to the current political instability in Niger, the Nigerien office of the Millennium Challenge Corporation has decided to suspend the regional compact, according to information reported by Agence Ecofin. “The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) continues to be deeply concerned about the actions of the Nigerien military against the democratically elected government of Niger. These actions contradict the MCC’s commitment to democratic governance and the rule of law, principles that underlie the agency’s rigorous selection criteria,” reads the statement, as reported by the media.
According to our source, the same statement also announces a forthcoming meeting on September 13, 2023, to assess the situation’s development. Benin is thus at risk of collateral damage following this decision, as the project’s implementation was also expected to facilitate trade along the Benin-Niger corridor.
