Presidents of Niger's Parliamentary Groups Visit the European Parliament in Brussels

Regional instability, Islamist terrorist attacks and persistent lack of food challenge the democratic gains made since the 1990s in Niger. While one of the world’s largest uranium producers, the country is ranked by the United Nations as one of the poorest in the world. Past corrupt practices and lack of oversight over how previous Nigerien governments awarded mining contracts have resulted in uneven distribution of revenue from the country’s expansive extractive industries.

To help overcome those challenges, NDI is working with Nigerien members of parliament (MPs), most of whom are in their first terms, as they seek to improve oversight of the country’s natural resources and carry out general principles of parliamentary oversight. One of their goals is to work more closely with civil society organizations (CSOs) and participate in CSO-organized site visits to better represent the interests of citizens and to inform the legislative work in the National Assembly for a more equitable distribution of natural resource revenue.

The program included a visit by the presidents of Niger’s five parliamentary groups, or caucuses, to the European Parliament (EP) and the Belgian Federal Parliament in Brussels from May 6 to May 8. They also met with the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the African, Caribbean, Pacific States – European Union (ACP-EU). The study mission was hosted by the EP's Office for Promotion of Parliamentary Democracy (OPPD).

During the visit, the parliamentarians focused on such topics as the role and function of European parliamentary groups, how to build consensus among countries and political groups, and the vital role that a constructive opposition can play in the parliamentary process.

At the Belgian Federal Parliament, the delegation discussed food security with members of Belgium’s parliamentary working group on Niger. The issue is one of the priority areas for Belgian development programs in Niger. They also met with members of the parliamentary delegation of the Belgian Fund for Food Security and discussed food pricing in Niger, which is frequently subject to speculative market practices, especially during periods of drought or during Ramadan. The Nigerien delegation shared information its government has developed on strengthening Niger’s domestic food production to address food security. The Belgian MPs were in the process of preparing a proposal on the topic.

The group also focused on the role of the OPPD in strengthening parliaments in new and emerging democracies and its efforts to link EP members with their counterparts in the rest of the world. The EP's vice president, Oldrick Vlasak, hosted a working lunch for the delegation and prominent European parliamentarians with a particular interest in the Sahel region. Their discussion focused on the security crisis in Mali, the role of the EU in Niger, and the need for inter-parliamentary cooperation.

The Nigerien Parliamentary Group Presidents and the President of the European Parliament. From left to right: Honorable Mahaman Sani Amadou, Honorable Mahaman El Hadji Souley, Honorable Seidou Bakari, Honorable Martin Schulz, Honorable Abdoul Kadri Tidjani, Honorable Zakari Oumarou.

The delegation also discussed these issues with Martin Schulz, the president of the EP. At the end of the study mission, participants met with Louis Michel, the co-president of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, and members of the ACP-EU subcommittee on security and defense to share their views on the economy and politics in Niger, European cooperation, the crisis in Mali and its impact on West Africa. Their conversation with Michel, conducted in French, can be found here. The delegation said the visit enhanced its appreciation of inter-parliamentary cooperation in a politically diverse environment and their understanding of the importance of consensus-building in parliament to advance important legislation.

Funding for the program was provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Office for Promotion of Parliamentary Democracy (OPPD) and the Nigerien government.

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Published Aug. 7, 2013

Updated Aug. 27, 2013