Background
Niger is a large and fragile landlocked country in the heart of the Sahel region, with more than 10 million people (45.3% of its population) living in extreme poverty (2024). Despite ongoing efforts to improve the situation, poverty remains a major challenge, and the regional insecurity also threatens stability, fuel pre-existing tensions and cause the displacement of population. Additionally, the onset of COVID-19 as well as ongoing fragility have reversed some of the earlier gains in poverty reduction. Overall, Niger experiences one of the world¡¯s lowest Human Capital Index, with a child born today expected to realize only 32 percent of his or her potential.
The country is highly exposed to climatic shocks, vulnerable to climate change, and its economic performance is directly linked to rainfall patterns. Between 1984 and 2010, six of the eight years of negative growth rate were attributed to droughts. Over the years, natural disasters and climate shocks have threatened the lives and livelihoods of Niger¡¯s population, and food insecurity is an acute and consistent problem.
SASPP Activities
Until June 2025, SASPP's activities were anchored in the Niger Adaptive Safety Net Project 2. The operation aimed to improve the capacity of the Niger adaptive safety nets system to respond to shocks and to provide access to safety nets and accompanying measures for poor and vulnerable people. Under this operation¡¯s framework, several programs were developed: the flagship income support for resilience program, productive inclusion programs targeting poor women and youth, shock-response programs, and a cash-for-work program aimed at strengthening the resilience of households to climatic shocks.
Project duration: FY19 - FY25 (project closed June 2025)
Financing: Initial financing of $80 million from IDA in FY19, and
Note: Prior to this engagement, the provided support, with a financing of $22.5 million from IDA and $8.5 million from the SASPP MDTF (approved in FY16).
The project was instrumental in building the mechanism and experience needed to continue boosting the climate resilience of the poorest and the most vulnerable population in Niger.
- The ''Cash for work for resilience'' program, designed to support communities affected by climate-related shocks, supported 87,466 households with monetary transfers for the construction of infrastructures of general interest to the community.
- Additionally, 27,820 households enrolled in the program completed the human capital accompanying measures. The measures included training provided to women on 15 life skills topics such as early child development, nutrition, health, COVID-19 prevention measures, etc.
- The project also reached a total of 413,000 households that had been directly affected by various shocks, including 379,686 households affected by COVID-19; 13,461 households affected by the devastating 2020 floods; and over 15,000 households benefiting from an innovative satellite-based drought-response program in 2022 and 2023.
Beyond the project, SASPP has supported just-in-time technical assistance and capacity-building to the government in the development and strengthening of ASP delivery systems and interventions. During recent periods of institutional reforms, support has been sustained at the technical level, with SASPP engaging with technical counterparts and partners. For example, in collaboration with WFP and UNICEF, the team provided support in the revision of the National Social Protection Policy (PNPS). SASPP also contributed to the implementation of the Registre Social Unifi¨¦ (Unified Social Registry) and supported the strengthening of the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM), the modernization of the payment system, and, in collaboration with CGAP, the preparation of a pilot program for digital payments.
SASPP also supported a drought-response pilot, designed to be activated automatically in response to drought using a satellite-based trigger. The program was activated for the first time in FY22 and was able to reach drought-affected households season response.
Currently, SASPP remains engaged in Niger, providing technical assistance to the government as it advances its national ASP agenda. As support realigns around national priorities, future efforts will likely center on youth empowerment ¨C enhancing job-relevant skills, expanding employment opportunities, and strengthening adaptive safety nets. In addition, SASPP will continue supporting the embedding of ASP principles and instruments in the new PNPS and the development of key programs and delivery systems, such as trigger-based shock-response, digital payments, and GRMs.
Last Updated: Jul 28, 2025