the World Bank announces to resume disbursements suspended after the July putsch

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The clearance of these debts was a condition for the resumption of disbursements. It is now done. Result : ” Disbursements on all existing World Bank projects are expected to resume in the coming days », Indicates the press service of the institution in Niamey contacted by Agence France Presse.

These disbursements were suspended last August following the coup d’état. The World Bank then said: alarmed by efforts to overthrow the democratically elected government “.

These disbursements should make it possible to relaunch important projects, like that of the Kandadji hydroelectric dam west of Niameyproject which was paralyzed for months in the absence of funding. THE ” some interruptions » of funding allocated “ especially large infrastructure projects », notes the World Bank. However, she considers that “ for the majority of projects, the authorities continued, in one way or another, their implementation “.

This resumption of disbursements is good news for Niamey. And for good reason: in 2022, the institution had spent no less than 1.5 billion dollars in Niger in its various aid programs.

For economist Ibrahim Adamou Louché, “ It’s good news “, because ” the suspension of international aid represented a considerable shortfall for public finances”, “become bloodless”. But according to him, “ everything suggests that » disbursements will be conditional on “ attention ” has a ” return to constitutional order “.

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