Tahoua, Niger – On Saturday 13 November 2021, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) organized the first networking meeting for young entrepreneurs in Tahoua.

This meeting aimed to create a space for exchange between the different participants in a bid to foster the entrepreneurial environment, entrepreneurial mindset among young people, and establishment of a sustainable collaboration between young entrepreneurs and economic operators.

The meeting was organised with the support of the IDEE Bridge project, “Initiatives pour le Développement de l’Entreprise”. This project aims to facilitate the development of technical skills and support for local microenterprises for 1,230 young people and the creation of at least 420 jobs in Niamey, Agadez, Tahoua and Zinder, thus providing alternatives to migration.

The event, which was organised in collaboration with the University of Tahoua, was attended by more than 560 participants, including 52 young entrepreneurs supported by the IDEE project from Niamey, Zinder, Agadez and Tahoua, as well as by government and regional representatives, civil society, and students from the university. This event was conducted as part of the Entrepreneurship Week in Niger, from 8 to 14 November 2021.

“The networking meeting between young entrepreneurs is an opportunity to highlight that a young person in Niger who successfully sets up a microenterprise contributes not only to the development of his or her community but also to the fight against underemployment and youth unemployment and at the same time offers them alternatives to migration,” said Barbara Rijks, IOM Head of Mission in Niger.

“Thanks to this event, I now realise that I have the potential to create my own business and I don’t necessarily need to migrate to find a job or address needs of my family and community,” explains Aishatou, a student at the University of Tahoua.

The IDEE Bridge project is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). Since 2017, 144 young people have been able to create their business thanks to this project and more than 500 jobs have been created.
 

For more information, please contact Aïssatou Sy, Public Information Officer at IOM Niger, aisy@iom.int.