AllAfrica News: Niger
Five years before the deadline set by world leaders in 2000 to achieve 8 major development goals, Africa is making progress. But more efforts are needed to reach the targets. Africa Renewal's André-Michel Essoungou reveals the trends.
Signs of Success in Fight Against Poverty
The Federal Government says it is making moves to prevent the construction of three multi-purpose dams in Mali, Guinea Bissau and Niger, to allow free flow of the River Niger.
FG Moves to Stop Three Dams Along River Niger
Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane is a worried man after his charges failed to punish minnows Niger in a 2012 African Nations Cup qualifier they were supposed to win by a huge margin here at the weekend.
Bafana in Need of Wider Goal Difference
Already stricken by a severe food crisis brought on by a prolonged drought, the people of Niger have now to contend with floods which have affected more than 200,000 people, the United Nations said on Friday.
Floods Worsen Misery for Hunger-Stricken - UN
The recent fire damage to Ultima Studios' in Nigeria (see Broadcast News below) and the 2008 fire in Universal Studios' video vault underline the importance of holding a back-up and making a proper archive of work. Balancing Act's Sylvain Beletre looks at what the practice in Africa has been so far and suggests some easy ways to overcome the problem.
Do African Producers Save Copies of Their Video Work?
AFTER the ignominy of failing to qualify for the African Cup of Nations at the beginning of the year, Bafana Bafana will attempt to haul themselves on the road to redemption when they host little-known Niger in the must-win opening qualifying match of the 2012 continental showpiece at Mbombela Stadium tomorrow night.
Super Saturday Puts Sport in Spotlight
Les enfants de la plupart des nomades nigérians passent à travers les mailles du filet de l'éducation, car la priorité est donnée à l'enseignement du métier familial et leur mode de vie itinérant fait qu'ils vont rarement à l'école. Tandis que le nomadisme devient de moins en moins viable, les enseignants et les autorités gouvernementales trouvent cependant de nouveaux moyens d'y remédier.
Eduquer les enfants nomades
Blessed with a vast population of more than 140 million inhabitants, cricket in Nigeria might be playing second fiddle to the beautiful game of football but the sport is rapidly gaining momentum in the West African country.
Nigerians in Great Cricket Drive
The United Nations humanitarian arm is seeking urgent assistance for Niger, where recent flooding has displaced nearly 200,000 people and aggravated a food crisis in which almost half of the country's 15 million people are experiencing hunger.
UN Renews Appeal for Aid After Recent Floods
The current food crisis in Niger and Chad is a symptom of long-term poverty, cyclical agricultural crisis, and lack of infrastructural development. In 2009, the region endured famine and food shortages due to deforestation, overpopulation, and environmental changes. The coping mechanisms of these countries have been exhausted from years of disaster response, diminishing their grain reserves and other emergency programs.
Aid in Niger And Chad Following the Famine And Floods
The population of Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world, is growing at an unsustainable rate, according to the authorities and civil society groups.
Small Steps Towards a Sustainable Future
BAFANA Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane still knows very little about Niger and is struggling to gather information about the little-known West Africans ahead of the opening 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit next Saturday.
Niger Prove an Elusive Africa Cup Opposition
An outbreak of cholera in the three neighbouring West African countries of Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger has infected nearly 4,000 people and killed more than 260 others since May, the United Nations health agency reported today, blaming the epidemic on poor hygiene and inadequate access to clean water.
Cholera Outbreak Hits 3,000 in Three Nations
Thousands of severely malnourished children in Niger are treated with locally produced Plumpy'nut: 40 percent of the therapeutic food used by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) comes from the capital, Niamey, rather than France.
Local Plumpy'nut Combats Child Hunger
Like millions of Nigeriens, residents of Bagga village, in the central region of Tahoua, have been struggling to find enough food to eat. Granaries are empty and harvests are not due for another two months. IRIN spoke to some of the villagers.
'We Drew Lots to Decide Which Children to Help'
This year again, Niger is short of food. Nearly half of the country's 15.2 million inhabitants are facing hunger due to failed harvests in 2009, according to the government.
Getting Food in by Truck, Boat, Camel and Cart
In April, the United Nations World Food Programme estimated it would need 190 million dollars to respond to a food crisis threatening more than 7 million people in Niger. By July, the WFP had revised the amount needed upwards to $371 million: a month later, the U.N. agency has been forced to scale back aid for lack of funds.
Massive Funds Shortfall Forces Cuts in Food Aid
In an effort to alleviate alarming food shortages that have caused high malnutrition rates among children in Niger, the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated an additional $15 million to enable the UN food agency to provide relief to an estimated 1.7 million people.
UN Emergency Fund Allocates More Resources to Hunger-Stricken Population
It's a trade that requires no capital, only courage and endurance. A group of 200 women are making ends meet - sometimes even a bit more - by selling sand.
Women Sell Sand to Survive
Although Niger is facing a severe food crisis, early large-scale responses have so far helped prevent a rapid deterioration in the nutritional state of children.
Nearly Half of Population at Risk of Hunger
An official advisory body in Niger has proposed an amnesty for the country's ruling junta in a new draft constitution, the council president said on Tuesday. Niger's consultative council is currently finalising the text, which will be put to a referendum in October.
New Constitution May Include Amnesty for Coup Leaders
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has begun a major round of feeding for 670,000 children under the age of two and their families in drought-stricken Niger, where as many as eight million people need assistance.
Agency to Feed 670,000 Children in Drought
Thousands of people are awaiting aid in Niger after record rains caused flooding that destroyed hundreds of homes and crops. The River Niger, which flows through nine west African countries, is at its highest level in almost 100 years.
Niger River Reaches Highest Level in 80 Years
Foreign journalists and media outlets must now seek clearance from Niger's communications ministry and pay large, non-refundable fees prior to entering the country to work on films or documentaries, reports the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA).
New Media Decree Gags Foreign Journalists
CAFOD is scaling up its humanitarian response to the massive food shortages and staggering acute malnutrition rates in Niger. The government of Niger has announced that the rate of severe food insecurity in the country has tripled since last year, and latest statistics indicate nearly 17 per cent of children under five are now suffering from acute malnutrition and life-threatening conditions. That's over a third higher than the number recorded last year.
Cafod Steps Up Response to Food Crisis
Parts of sparsely populated and arid eastern Niger, north of the city of Diffa, are strewn with putrid dead cows: Pastoralists travelled great distances to find food and water for their animals but in the end had to watch their most prized assets die.
Chasing After Pastoralists With Truckloads of Aid
Niger on Tuesday marked 50 years of independence from France - but instead of throwing a party, half of the country's 13.4 million people are facing famine. While the military junta has ordered low-key festivities, aid agencies are desperately working to get food and medicine the needy.
Famine-Struck Nation Sees Little Reason to Celebrate
Niger State Government has said was set to launch transmission of its television station at the new television village in Minna in October. The government also said the transmitter procured by the state government to that effect was best in the country.
Niger TV to Begin Operation in October
Kebbi State Government has donated 3000 bags of grains to assist the victims of famine in the neigbouring Niger Republic.
Kebbi Donates Grain to Niger Republic