Visiting Niger, the president of the West African Development Bank (BOAD), Christian Adovelande, announced that the Bank would submit to its board two projects worth CFA27 billion to finance road and energy infrastructures in Niger.

Regarding the road projects, the funding will be directed to the Bela-Gaya road and the Bela2-Nigerian border and Gaya-Nigerian border junctions.

These are strategic roads for Niger's supply from Cotonou's port and from Nigeria as well. They also are highly used for cross-border trade between Niger, Nigeria and Benin.

As for energy, the project consists in electrifying 45 communities with renewable power source, like photovoltaic.

According to BOAD's president, his institution is currently backing 15 projects in Niger for a total amount of CFA245 billion.

Over the 15 projects, eight are for road infrastructures; four for rural development and food security and three for energy. Mr Adovelande insured that the bank would actively participate in the mobilization of resources to finance the five-year (2016-2021) program of Niger's president, which according to estimates will require an investment of eight trillion CFA.

M.S.S