Mr. Abdoulaye Seydou, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, conducted a working visit on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, to assess progress at agencies under his ministry in Niamey, Niger. During his visit, the Minister inspected the Système d’Information sur les Marchés Agricoles (SIMA) as the second structure on his itinerary. Mr. Seydou stated that "these visits are part of a dynamic after Year 1 of the refounding, to be able to look together at the challenges, difficulties, and especially the perspectives to make our ministerial department and all the institutions attached to it, structures serving the refounding and especially the vision of the Head of State for a truly independent and prosperous world."
Evaluating UMOCIR and SIMA
The first structure visited by Minister Abdoulaye Seydou was the Unité de Mise en Œuvre du Cadre Intégré Renforcé (UMOCIR). Situated next to the Niamey governorship, UMOCIR was the initial stop on the Minister's itinerary. Officials at UMOCIR presented an update on the implementation status of the Enhanced Integrated Framework (CIR) program in Niger. Their presentation also detailed the challenges encountered during the program's execution. Minister Seydou's visit aimed to assess the progress and existing hurdles faced by these agencies.
NITRA's Missions and Prospects
The third agency visited by Minister Abdoulaye Seydou was Société Niger Transit (NITRA). Lieutenant-Colonel Mahamadou Tawayé, the Director General of NITRA, received the Minister. During the visit, Lieutenant-Colonel Tawayé presented an overview of the company's missions, objectives, achievements, and challenges. He also outlined NITRA's future prospects to the Minister.
Vision for Ministry Services
The Minister's visit encompassed several agencies under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The overarching goal is to ensure the ministerial department and its affiliated institutions serve the refoundation effort and the Head of State's vision. The visit to SIMA specifically aimed to assess the implementation level of recommendations issued during a previous mission by the Minister and to observe progress. Minister Abdoulaye Seydou stated, "At the level of each of these structures, after the inventory and especially the projections, we drew the attention of everyone to the context in which we are and the need to provide local services, services that are adapted to the needs of the populations and especially in line with our country's vision of sovereignty." Minister Seydou believes the mindset within the visited structures is clear for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to continue playing its role in the country's transformation and refoundation policy. He further stated, "I think that at the level of each of these structures, of these visited institutions, the state of mind is clear and that we will continue to make the Ministry of Commerce and Industry a structure that plays its part in the transformation policy of our country, in the work of refoundation of our country in the service of the interests of the population."
Minister's Commitment and Outlook
Minister Abdoulaye Seydou stated the visits are part of a dynamic after Year 1 of refounding to examine challenges, difficulties, and perspectives. He reiterated his commitment to support Société Niger Transit (NITRA) in strengthening its capacities. The Minister stressed the need for local services adapted to population needs and aligned with the country's vision of sovereignty.