'Renaissance Programme drives Niger's progress in all sectors' - PM Rafini
Niamey, Niger (PANA) – Niger’s Prime Minister Brigi Rafini has expressed his pleasure about the progress made the government in the past eight years of the Fifth Republic, noting that indicators "at all levels and in all sectors progressed significantly."
‘’My conviction today is that the commitments made by President Issoufou have been widely honoured and realised. As a result, one can see the significant progress achieved that enabled the country to tackle huge challenges and make structural changes," Rafini said on Tuesday when the spoke to the press about the eight years of implementing the Renaissance Programme.
"The Renaissance Programme is the expression of the strong commitments made by President Issoufou Mahamadou when he stood as a presidential candidate and after the Nigerien people gave him confidence in 2011 and 2016," the Prime Minister said.
He summerised the commitments as promoting cultural renaissance; establishing and consolidating democratic, strong and credible institutions; tightening the security of people and goods; and guaranteeing access to potable supply for all.
The other objectives of the programme, he said, concern food security; development of energy and communication infrastructure; improvement of the social sectors including education and health; and the promotion of youth employment.
He also pointed out that efforts made in fighting corruption enabled Niger to advance in ranking on the corruption perception index as it moved from 123rd to 114th position in 2018.
In social development, the premier said that the health component recorded significant progress in the health coverage rate which rose from 45% to 50.6% in 2018. In addition, there was a "drastic drop" in infant and maternal mortality rates.
‘’In general, in the economic field, the wealth created progressed on average by 5.8%, which enabled the country to undertake important challenges."
At the diplomatic level, Niger’s image was markedly raised through the leadership of President Issoufou Mahamadou "champion of different African initiatives which his African peers entrusted him, such as the implementation of the African free trade area."
"The eight years of the Renaissance Programme have really set the foundation for continuation of Niger’s accelerated development, a regeneration anchored in the triple social, political and economic modernisation," Rafini concluded.
-0- PANA SA/IS/MSA/AR 17April 2019
