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Viewing cable 08NIAMEY481, GOVERNMENT OF NIGER (GON) PRESIDENT TANDJA HOSTS THE NIGER

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08NIAMEY481 2008-05-07 14:19 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Niamey
VZCZCXRO7618
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHNM #0481/01 1281419
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 071419Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4286
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0673
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEHLMC/MCC WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NIAMEY 000481 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ACCRA FOR USAID 
DAKAR FOR USAID 
PARIS FOR AF WATCHER 
AF/W FOR Dennison 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON PREL EAID EINV SENV EAGR TPHY NG XY
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF NIGER (GON) PRESIDENT TANDJA HOSTS THE NIGER 
BASIN AUTHORITY HEADS OF STATE/GOVERNMENT SUMMIT 
 
NIAMEY 00000481  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
1.  Summary. On April 30, 2008, GON President Mamadou Tandja hosted 
the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) Eighth Heads of State and Government 
(HOSG) Summit (much of it held behind closed doors) in Niamey. 
Three presidents (Benin, Chad and Mali), a prime minister (Burkina 
Faso), senior government officials from two member states (Nigeria 
and Guinea) and France, representation from the governments of 
Cameroon and Cote D'Ivoire and the World Bank headed delegations to 
the Summit.  GON cabinet ministers, diplomatic corps, traditional 
chiefs, non-governmental organization representatives and members of 
civil society attended the opening ceremony.  Tandja announced a 
June 23, 2008 donors' roundtable to take place in Niamey to secure 
needed funding for a priority five-year plan (2008-2012), the first 
of four five-year plans for the period 2008-2027.  He called for 
acceleration of work on the Taoussa and Kandadji dam projects, 
respectively, in Mali and Niger.  Tandja closed the summit with the 
announcement that Government of Nigeria President Alhaji Musa 
Yar'Adua would assume the NBA Presidency for the next two years and 
that the next HOSG Summit would be scheduled to take place during 
the first half of year 2010 in Nigeria.  Beyond the Summit, the 
French Development Agency and Islamic Development Bank signed 
substantial assistance packages for water projects in Niger.  End 
summary. 
 
2.  On April 30, GON President Tandja welcomed counterparts and 
other visiting officials to the Eighth HOSG Summit in Niamey.  He 
expressed gratitude to partner nations and partner organizations for 
their support in implementing NBA projects.  Senior officials 
participating in the meeting included Benin President Dr. Boni Yayi, 
Mali President Amadou Toumani Toure, Chad President Idriss Deby 
Itno, Burkina Faso Prime Minister Tertius Zongo, Nigeria Minister of 
Agriculture and Water Resources Demola Seriki, Guinean Minister of 
Energy and Water Affairs Ninaga Komata Goumou, Government of France 
(GOF) Secretary of State for the Francophonie Alain Joyandet and 
World Bank Director for the Department of Sustainable Development 
Inger Anderson. 
 
3. Tandja remarked that the massive attendance at the Summit was a 
mark of friendship for Niger and a mark of confidence in the new 
path being charted by the NBA membership. Tandja acknowledged the 
presence of GOF Francophonie Secretary Alain Joyandet (as the 
personal representative of French President Nicholas Sarkozy) and 
the following institutions: World Bank (WB), African Development 
Bank (ADB), Islamic Development Bank, West African Development Bank, 
West African Economic and Monetary Union, African Union, European 
Union, Economic Community of West African States, Canadian Agency 
for International Development, United Nations Executive Secretariat 
for the Fight Against Desertification, Executive Secretariat for the 
Sahara and Sahel Observatory, World Meteorological Organization, 
Saudi Development Fund, U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization and 
the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CENSAD). 
 
4. Summarizing concerns about the basin, he noted that over the 
course of the past 40 years the Niger River basin has seen 
reductions of water flow ranging from 20 to 55 percent and has 
suffered decreases in rainfall from 20 to 30 percent.  He attributed 
both phenomena to climate change and demographic pressure.  He noted 
the increased level of silt, invasive plant life (notably water 
hyacinth) and other menaces to the ecosystem and local populations. 
He stated that nations sharing the basin have taken individual 
initiatives to preserve the basin as a natural resource, but that 
such initiatives have not succeeded in guaranteeing the effective 
exploitation of basin resources, making the challenges and issues 
related to development of the basin that much more critical. He 
cited as challenges/issues: poverty reduction, improving quality of 
life, protection of the environment and ecosystems, food security, 
sustainable and equitable use of water resources, and fair 
distribution of profits. 
 
5. Tandja emphasized that the NBA member states' "shared vision" and 
8th Summit work require review and approval of a 2008-2027 
investment program and a Water Charter to guarantee equitable, 
peaceful and sustainable use of basin resources.  He said the 
proposed investment program, in line with the Action Plan for 
Sustainable Development of the Niger Basin, is structured around 
four five-year plans amounting to a global need of 3.645 billion 
FCFA (approximately 8.67 billion USD).  (Note: The exchange rate 
used is 420 FCFA = 1 USD.  End note.)  He said the first five-year 
plan would be presented at a June 23 donors' roundtable in Niamey 
and projected the funding needed to execute the plan at 905 billion 
FCFA (approximately 2.15 billion USD).  He reported a shortfall of 
565 billion FCFA (approximately 1.32 billion USD.  He stressed that 
while basin countries need to once again turn to donor partners for 
financial assistance, the basin countries must also work on their 
own efforts to advance basin initiatives.  He urged basin states to 
 
NIAMEY 00000481  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
make regular payments of dues to the NBA Executive Secretariat, but 
noted that measures need to be taken to determine assessments 
according to the realities of the moment. 
 
6.  Tandja named ongoing regional projects funded by a few partners: 
Program of Water Resource Development and Sustainable Management of 
the Niger Basin Ecosystem (WB), Program to Fight Against Silt in the 
Niger Basin (ADB), Project to Reverse Soil and Water Degradation 
Tendencies in the Niger Basin (WB and World Environment Fund) and 
Project-Hycos to study basin surface water (GOF and ADB). 
 
7.  French Francophonie Secretary Joyandet stated at the Summit 
opening ceremony that the Niger River is an inheritance to bordering 
countries and populations along the span from Fouta Djalon in Guinea 
to its mouth at the ocean in Nigeria, a treasure that must be 
preserved and developed to meet people's current needs and those of 
their children and grandchildren.  He reminded the audience that 
four years earlier former French President Jacques Chirac at the 
Paris Conference and in the Declaration of Paris had called for a 
development program to finalize a "shared vision" for use of the 
Niger Basin water resources under sustainable and responsible 
management by the NBA.  Joyandet expressed joy that some four years 
later a NBA Plan of Action and Water Charter would be submitted for 
validation during the current HOSG Summit.  He reiterated that GOF 
engagement would complement other technical and financial partners' 
support to Niger Basin countries and their 110 million people that 
he added is projected to grow to 180 million people over the next 20 
years.  He confirmed that the GOF will be seated at the donors' 
roundtable in Niger in June. 
 
(Note: GON Minister of Finance Ali Lamine Zeine and Joyandet, the 
latter on behalf of the French Development Agency (FDA), signed a 
9.825 billion FCFA (approximately 23 million USD) water assistance 
package. (Note: It was reported that about 3 million USD of the 23 
million USD package is for use as part of the GON Food Crisis Cell 
(CCA) Fund to procure food and/or support food security activities.) 
Zeine remarked that the assistance would fund potable water projects 
for 24 villages, eight water towers, six thousand water connections 
and 25 fountains to serve 90,000 people and improve the quality of 
water access to more than 281,000 persons in the targeted areas. 
Zeine stated the FDA assistance would complement the more than 16 
billion FCFA  (approximately 38 million USD) provided by the ADB 
over the last six years.  End note.) 
 
8.  WB Director of Sustainable Development Anderson, on behalf of WB 
President Robert Zoellick, saluted the NBA's progress since 2002. 
She said the Niger River Basin is a vital inheritance for West and 
Central Africa, making it necessary to urgently act on its 
development.  She added that the basin offers enormous 
opportunities, from hydroelectricity to irrigation, fishing and 
management of the environment.  She offered assurances that 
development partners remain disposed to continue support to the 
NBA. 
 
9. GON Minister of Water Resources Tassiou Aminou read the final 
communique at the HOSG Summit closing ceremony.  He cited the 
following decisions: 
 
a) adoption of a 2008-2027 Niger Basin Investment Program; 
b) adoption of the Niger Basin Water Charter and acceleration of the 
timetable to put it into effect; 
c) organization of a June 23, 2008 donors' roundtable in Niamey to 
secure funding for the 2008-2012 Priority Five-Year Plan; 
d) acceleration of work on the Taoussa Dam (Mali) and Kandadji Dam 
(Niger) projects; 
e) acceleration of studies on sustainable and autonomous funding for 
the NBA and Executive Secretariat work; 
f) acceleration of the Executive Secretariat and NBA member states' 
planning for and exploitation of irrigation potential to improve 
food security along the basin, in synergy with subregional, regional 
and specialized international organizations; 
g) reinforcement of exchange mechanisms in agricultural production, 
complementary to work of individual members states; and 
h) the extension of Mohammed Bello Tuga's (from Nigeria) mandate for 
two years (non-renewable) as NBA Executive Secretary. 
 
10. Tandja's remarks at the Summit closing ceremony emphasized that 
the Niger River is a rich natural resource that offers real 
opportunity for development in the subregion, provided measures are 
taken to manage the various threats to the basin.  He stressed that 
human ingenuity is essential to overcome challenges in the basin's 
development.  He urged the NBA Executive Secretary and Technical 
Committee to persevere in their efforts to generate interest among 
partners.  He said both the human and natural resources of the basin 
 
NIAMEY 00000481  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
must serve as a springboard for durable economic development in the 
subregion. He commended Mohamed Bello Tuga for his good work that 
resulted in reelection to another term as NBA Executive Secretary 
and congratulated Government of Nigeria President Yar'Adua on his 
election as the new NBA President through year 2010. 
 
Note: On May 6, 2008, Islamic Development Bank Vice President Amadou 
Cisse signed a 25 billion FCFA (approximately 50 million USD) 
assistance package for the GON's first phase of the Kandadji Dam 
project.  End note.) 
 
ALLEN