Niamey – With support of the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO), the International Organization for Migration and the Government of Niger launched on 10 March the Niger Community Cohesion Initiative (NCCI) in the region of Maradi, in southern Niger near the border with Nigeria. The NCCI, which will be implemented for 18 months in Tillaberi, Tahoua, Maradi, and Diffa seeks to increase communities' resilience and cohesion to resist and address conflict, insecurity, and threats by violent extremist organisations and strengthen their trust in local government authorities and state structures. The Initiative ensures the involvement of women and youth and offers them sustainable economic opportunities to to improve their livelihood opportunities.

Through quick impact projects, the NCCI supports activities that are identified and implemented by local authorities and communities with the overall goal to strengthen community stabilisation and cohesion in the target communities. Implemented since 2014 in conflict-hit Tillaberi, Tahoua, Agadez, and Diffa regions, the NCCI is extending to the southern part of Maradi, where the security situation has steadily deteriorated since 2017. The region, bordering Nigeria to the south, faces many challenges.

In recent years an increase in attacks by armed groups, inter-communal conflicts over natural resources such as water and land, trafficking in persons, and arms proliferation have destabilised the economy in Maradi and increased the vulnerabilities of certain population groups, such as youth. “Our intervention aims to assist in the development and implementation of an inclusive community cohesion policy in Niger,” reminded Herman Nicolai, German Ambassador in Niger. "These past years, the NCCI has supported the resilience of local communities in fragile zones to better absorb risks and shocks,” said Barbara Rijks, IOM Niger’s Chief of Mission. “Community participation is an important factor in conflict prevention and provides a response tailored to the needs of the populations," she adds.

In the previous phase of NCCI, between July 2020 and December 2021, 210 peace committees have been strengthened and /or created in various villages in Diffa, Tillabéri, and Tahoua. These committees consist of mayors, traditional leaders, women, and youth leaders who are an integral part of the programme. In the same period 180 project activities have been implemented, including sport and cultural events, organized to reinforce social cohesion between different communities including host and displaced communities, and the rehabilitation of basic infrastructures, such as youth and culture centres, meetings rooms for local authorities, health care centres and schools.

In addition, Livelihood opportunities at community level are enhanced, amongst others, through training and donation of equipment (i.e. motor pumps for irrigation in market gardens and oil extractors for producing oil from nuts), cash for work and tricycles (tuk-tuks) to support taxi drivers with income as many can no longer use motorcycles as a result of the State of Emergency. Trust and social cohesion between local authorities and communities is strengthened through the use of “pirogues”, small motorized boats that enable regular visits by different technical services to remote communities along the Niger river. In January 2022, GFFO approved an additional 12 million euros for the continuation of the NCCI in Tillaberi, Tahoua, Maradi and Diffa for a period of 18 months.

For more information, please contact Aïssatou Sy, Public Information Officer at IOM Niger, Tel: +22780066531, Email: aisy@iom.int.