A ministerial delegation inspected agricultural infrastructures in the 5th communal arrondissement of Niamey on 15 October 2026. The visit focused on the state of local agro-pastoral sites as part of a broader push by the government to modernize production facilities. Officials assessed the current maintenance and operational capacity of these locations to determine necessary upgrades. This inspection included representatives from the Office national d’aménagement hydro-agricole (ONAHA) and the Centrale d’approvisionnement en intrants et matériels agricoles (CAIMA). Bilaly Elhadj Gambobo and Assoumane Abdou Harouna participated in the site evaluations to identify specific technical requirements for the upcoming project. Authorities intend to use findings from this mission to guide future investments in the capital's agricultural infrastructure.
Rehabilitation of Saguia-Amont Infrastructure
The Office national d’aménagement hydro-agricole (ONAHA) recently completed a rehabilitation project at the Saguia-Amont site. This initiative expanded the total cultivated surface area at the location from 80 to 102 hectares.
Productivity at the site also rose following the conclusion of the infrastructure works. Data from the project shows that the average yield at Saguia-Amont increased from 4.9 to 7.9 tonnes per hectare. These improvements form part of the technical upgrades assessed by officials during their inspection of Niamey’s agro-pastoral sites.
Expanding Forage Production Efforts
Government officials inspected a 5-hectare private farm located in the Lougal hamlet on 15 October 2026. This site is currently dedicated to the cultivation of Maralfalfa, a forage plant recognized for its high nutritional value for livestock. The visit allowed the ministerial delegation to observe current production methods and the potential for integrating such private initiatives into larger agricultural modernization efforts.
Following the assessment, the Minister of Agriculture ordered the creation of a dedicated mechanism to oversee the collection and redistribution of Maralfalfa cuttings. This program aims to expand the availability of the forage plant to other agro-pastoral sites across the capital, ensuring that producers have access to the resources necessary to improve livestock nutrition and growth rates.
Technical services responsible for the oversight of these sites reported several operational constraints affecting the project. According to these findings, logistics shortages and chronic understaffing hinder the daily management of agricultural infrastructure. Personnel also cited insufficient operating budgets as a primary obstacle to maintaining consistent production standards. The report identified significant infrastructure degradation across several facilities, noting that existing equipment requires immediate attention to support the government's development goals. Authorities intend to address these technical gaps as they finalize plans for the broader modernization of Niamey’s agro-pastoral sector.