VZCZCXRO0524
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHNM #0334 0801337
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201337Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4202
RUEHAR/AMEMBASSY ACCRA 0477
RUEHLMC/MCC WASHDC
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0664

UNCLAS NIAMEY 000334 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/W Jane Dennison 
ACCRA FOR USAID/WA Henderson Patrick 
MCC for Deputy CEO Rodney Bent 
DEPT FOR MCC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIN ECON EAID ETRD NG
SUBJECT: NIGER: SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF MCA THRESHOLD PROGRAM 
 
 
¶1. Summary.  The March 17, 2008, signing ceremony to launch a 
US$ 23 million Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Threshold 
Program for Niger was a huge success.  USAID/WA Director Henderson 
Patrick and GON Finance Minister Lamine Zeine signed the 
agreement; MCC Deputy CEO Rodney Bent and Ambassador Allen signed 
as witnesses to the agreement and Prime Minister (PM) Seini 
Oumarou served as the senior GON official at the event.  The PM 
and MCC Deputy CEO Bent also delivered remarks at the signing 
ceremony.  Nine GON cabinet ministers, the Embassy DCM, other 
donor country ambassadors, international organization resident 
representatives (UNDP, IMF, World Bank) and members of civil 
society were present for the event.  The Embassy Public Affairs 
Office, USAID PSC and FSN Protocol Assistant worked closely with 
the GON Protocol Office on preparations for the ceremony and 
other activities that all received wide media coverage 
(television, print and radio) for three days. 
End summary. 
 
¶2.  Niger's newly launched Threshold Program received extensive 
media coverage from March 17 to 19.  At the signing ceremony 
press conference, the US delegation lauded the Nigeriens who 
worked on the concept plan and congratulated the Nigerien people 
as beneficiaries of the program.  The Ambassador emphasized that 
the concept plan was developed by Nigeriens, truly making 
it "Niger's" program.  Other media coverage included meetings 
conducted with the GON PM, cabinet ministers (Finance, Commerce, 
Education, Justice and Foreign Affairs), sectoral committees that 
worked on the various components in Niger's Threshold Program 
and, under the escort of both the Minister of Education and the 
Governor of Tillaberi Region, the US delegation visit to three 
villages targeted for the girls' education component of the 
Threshold Program (two of the villages host Peace Corps 
volunteers).  The other components of the Threshold Program 
relate to reducing corruption, streamlining business creation 
and improving rights and access to land. 
 
¶3.  With the ink barely dry on the Threshold agreement, GON 
officials, civil society members who worked on the Threshold 
concept plan and the press raised questions about what needs to 
be accomplished to reach Compact status.  MCC CEO Bent responded 
by discussing the 17 criteria, emphasizing the importance of 
fighting corruption and noting that there is an annual evaluation 
process. 
 
¶4.  USAID/WA Director Patrick responded to questions about 
USAID's role in the implementation of the Threshold Program, and 
fielded questions related to whether Niger would again play host 
to a USAID Mission.  He emphasized that even without a USAID 
Mission in Niger, USAID assistance levels for Niger in various 
sectors (e.g., agriculture, health) are higher than in some 
USAID-presence countries and are higher than the period when Niger 
had a USAID Mission.  He added that USAID is hiring an employee to 
work with the GON solely on the MCC Threshold Program. 
 
¶5. To celebrate the signing agreement, the Minister of Finance 
hosted a March 17 reception and the Ambassador hosted a March 18 
dinner at the Chief of Mission residence. 
 
¶6. In addition to the GON cabinet ministers with ministries that 
will directly benefit from the Threshold Program (i.e., Education, 
Commerce, and Justice), several ministers from ministries that will 
only indirectly benefit from the Program participated in several 
signing ceremony activities (i.e., Women's Protection, Youth 
Training, Community Development and Agriculture). 
 
¶7. On March 19, MCC CEO Bent and the USAID Niger PSC visited the new 
MCC Coordination Office and, with UNDP serving as host, met with 
representatives of most major donors. 
 
¶8. GON officials' remarks consistently focused on the fact that with 
the signing of the agreement the hard work must immediately begin. 
Great emphasis has been placed on the need for the Nigerien people 
to act quickly in order to obtain eligibility for a Compact 
Agreement in the shortest possible time. 
 
ALLEN