Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdoulaye Seydou presided over the 3rd Accountability and Exchange Day with the private sector on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, in Niamey. The session focused on a mid-term review of recommendations from the previous gathering on February 4, 2026. Minister Seydou stated the regular holding of these days reflects "the government's will to make dialogue with the private sector a permanent instrument for evaluating and improving public action for Niger's economic development."
Minister Seydou emphasized the importance of "shared accountability and responsibility, allowing us to examine recommendations that have been implemented, those underway, and those that have not yet begun, to understand any delays or blockages." He added that "a recommendation only has value when it translates into concrete action, and that action produces perceptible results for economic actors and the population." The Minister also noted the need "to precisely identify the constraints that continue to weigh on economic activity and to develop realistic solutions, with responsibilities and deadlines where possible." He outlined an objective to shift "from an economy essentially consuming imported products to an economy capable of producing, transforming, and exporting more." Minister Seydou concluded, "The State cannot industrialize Niger alone, nor can the private sector industrialize Niger alone. It is together that we must build this new industrial dynamic."
Dialogue and Shared Responsibility
Minister Abdoulaye Seydou described the session as an exercise in "redevabilité et de responsabilité partagée permettant d’examiner les recommandations réalisées, celles en cours d’exécution ainsi que celles qui n’ont pas encore connu de début de mise en œuvre, afin d’en comprendre les éventuels retards ou blocages" (accountability and shared responsibility, allowing us to examine recommendations that have been implemented, those underway, and those that have not yet begun, to understand any delays or blockages). Participants reviewed the mid-term progress report on implementing recommendations from the previous Accountability Day. Discussions also covered incentive measures for industrial development.
Minister Seydou emphasized the strategic importance of industrial development, aiming for Niger to transition "d’une économie essentiellement consommatrice de produits importés à une économie capable de produire, transformer et exporter davantage" (from an economy essentially consuming imported products to one that produces, transforms, and exports more). He added, "L’État ne peut pas industrialiser le Niger seul, le secteur privé ne peut pas non plus industrialiser le Niger seul. C’est ensemble que nous devons construire cette nouvelle dynamique industrielle" (The State cannot industrialize Niger alone, nor can the private sector industrialize Niger alone. It is together that we must build this new industrial dynamic).
Private Sector Vision and Challenges
The Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Niger, Kabirou Oumarou, emphasized the private sector's need for a conducive economic environment. He outlined key requirements including clear regulatory frameworks, an accessible administration, improved access to financing, suitable infrastructure, readily available and competitive energy, and efficient logistics.
Diaroumey Djibrilla, Executive Secretary of the General Confederation of Employers of Niger (CGPN), affirmed the commitment of employers to a strategic vision focused on achieving economic sovereignty, ensuring food security, and creating employment opportunities within the nation. As part of this commitment, the CGPN intends to establish two agricultural enterprises in each commune, one dedicated to production and the other to transformation, with anticipated state backing. The CGPN also noted the importance of enhancing animal genetics to boost milk production and stressed the need for further development in agro-industry and local content integration.
Tawaye Nabazaga, representing the Organization of Professionals of the Industry of Niger, described the Accountability and Exchange Day as "un espace privilégié de dialogue entre l’Administration et le secteur privé" (a privileged space for dialogue between the Administration and the private sector). He urged participants to "en faire un véritable mécanisme de suivi, de décision et de mise en œuvre des engagements pris" (make it a real mechanism for monitoring, decision-making, and implementing commitments made). Nabazaga stated that "l’industrie nigérienne évolue dans un contexte marqué par une concurrence accrue, l’ouverture progressive des marchés, notamment avec la Zone de libre-échange continentale africaine (ZLECAf), la hausse des coûts de production et les mutations technologiques" (Nigerien industry operates in a context marked by increased competition, the progressive opening of markets, notably with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), rising production costs, and technological changes). He added, "Notre industrie nationale ne demande pas à être protégée de toute concurrence. Elle demande simplement à pouvoir concourir dans des conditions équitables" (Our national industry does not ask to be protected from all competition. It simply asks to be able to compete under equitable conditions).
Pathways to Industrial Growth
Minister Abdoulaye Seydou called for exchanges to identify constraints precisely on economic activity and to develop realistic solutions, complete with assigned responsibilities and deadlines. He stated, "Une recommandation n’a de valeur que lorsqu’elle se traduit par une action concrète et que cette action produit des résultats perceptibles pour les acteurs économiques ainsi que pour les populations" (A recommendation only has value when it translates into concrete action, and that action produces perceptible results for economic actors and the population). Seydou further emphasized the need "d’identifier avec précision les contraintes qui continuent de peser sur l’activité économique et de dégager des solutions réalistes, assorties autant que possible de responsabilités et d’échéances" (to precisely identify the constraints that continue to weigh on economic activity and to develop realistic solutions, with responsibilities and deadlines where possible). Measures mentioned for promoting local products include regulating imports of similar products, local public procurement, and supporting industrial units. Tawaye Nabazaga, representing the Organization of Professionals of the Industry of Niger, stated that national industry requests fair competition conditions, not protection from all competition. He clarified, "Notre industrie nationale ne demande pas à être protégée de toute concurrence. Elle demande simplement à pouvoir concourir dans des conditions équitables" (Our national industry does not ask to be protected from all competition. It simply asks to be able to compete under equitable conditions).
