Embassy of India

Niamey

Bilateral Brief: India-Niger

Niger is a landlocked country sharing borders with 7 other countries in the Sahara – Sahel region of West Africa. It is a proclaimed secular state. Niger has mineral resources like Uranium, Gold, Iron ore, Phosphate, Lithium, Natrum, Oil and Gas. India and Niger have maintained cordial relations. India established its Embassy in Niamey in May 2009. Niger followed by opening its Embassy in New Delhi in November 2011.

Bilateral Visits

2.         The major visits from India to Niger:-

3.         The major visits from Niger to India:-

Bilateral Agreements

4.         The following two Agreements were signed during visit of EAM to Niamey in January 2020: (i) Agreement for Protocol on Consultations; and (ii) Agreement for Establishment of Joint Commission.

Trade

5. India has extended Duty Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) Scheme to Niger with effect from 27 July 2017.

6.         Bilateral trade [Source: DGFT/M(C&I)] during the last five years (in US$ millions) is as follows:-

7.         The main items exported from India to Niger include Rice, Cotton, Pharmaceutical products, Engineering goods, electrical appliances, cotton fabrics, garments, processed cereals/food items, Sugar, Sugar confectionary, Construction material, artificial jewellery etc.  The main items being exported from Niger to India are Gum Arabic, Resins and other Vegetable saps and extracts, semi-precious stones, Oil seeds (Sesame), misc. grains, goat skins. etc.

Development Partnership

8.         A grant of US$ 35.484 million was extended for construction of Mahatma Gandhi International Convention Centre (MGICC) in September 2018.  The centre was inaugurated by EAM in January 2020. In June 2019, GoI extended a grant assistance of US$ 15 million to the Government of Niger for defraying part of the expenses towards hosting of the AU Summit in July 2019 in Niamey.  India has also provided humanitarian assistance, medicines, vaccines and grants for computers and equipment purchases to Niger.  

9.         India has extended US$ 96.54 million as lines of credit (LOCs) for various projects which are all now completed. These are:

1. 1. US$ 17 million in 2006 for procurement of buses, trucks, tractors, flour mills, motor pumps, etc.;
   2. US$ 20 million in 2008 for (a) rehabilitation of 6 power stations; (b) purchase of 3 power transformers; (c) rehabilitation and erection of transmission lines;
   3. US$ 34.54 million in 2013 for solar electrification of 90 villages (50+40) and 7MWp Solar photovoltaic power station at Malbaza.
   4. US$ 25 million in 2014 for supply of Potable Water for Semi-Urban and Rural Communities through 500 borewells.

10.        In addition, projects totalling US$ 131.50 million have been approved for Niger from the LoCs extended to ECOWAS Bank for Investment & Development (EBID). These are as follows:

1. US$ 10 million for electrification of 50 villages through Solar Photovoltaic Systems in the regions of Dosso, Tillabery and Tahoua;
2. US$ 39.70 million for Solar electrification of 250 rural communities;
3. US$ 56.70 million for upgrading and extension of Potable Water Supply Networks in  cities of Maradi, Dosso and Diffa;
4. US$ 10.50 million for Electrification of resettlement sites under the Resettlement Action Plan of the Kandadji Dam and upgrading of the Power Distribution Network Project in the dam area;
5. US$ 14.60 million for Agriculture & Irrigation Project for the Resettlement Sites of the Kandadji Dam’s Resettlement (Phase 2) plan (assigned - tba)  

Capacity Building

11.      Niger has been making good utilization of the 156 ITEC slots and 5 ICCR slots earmarked for the country. ITEC courses in the physical mode remained suspended in 2020-21 and 2021-22. For 2022-23,156 ITEC slots have been allocated to Niger.  Three ITEC defence slots were utilised in 2019-20, 2 in 2020-21 and 7 in 2021-22.  5 ICCR scholarships were utilised by Niger in 2019-20, 3 in 2020-21 and 4 in 2021-22. 5 ICCR scholarships have been made available for Nigerien students in 2022-23.  Nine Nigerien diplomats have undergone training in regular courses at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) from 1995 to 2021.  

Indian community / Indian investment

12. There are around 200 Indian nationals residing in Niamey. They are largely engaged in trading, hospitality and service sectors. Some Indian investments in Niger are: M/s Airtel Cellular Services, M/s Euroworld International, Jai Mata di Trading, M/s Satguru Travels, M/s Qualis Beverages

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(Last updated 05 January 2023)

Useful Resources

• Mission’s Website: https://indembniamey.gov.in/  

• Mission’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IndiainNiger

• Mission’s Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/indiainniger

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpAL5Cu-rzz2z9Lbu50WpWw/featured

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/embassyofindianiamey22/