EU provides 66 million euro to Niger to back national budget

Josep Borrell Fontelles, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, announced Wednesday, the bloc will provide Niger with 66 million euro earmarked to back the West African country’s national budget.
Borrell made the announcement following a meeting with President Mohamed Bazoum. He also argued that the support could be hiked in the next coming weeks and expects financial support to Niger to reach 500 million euros from 2021 to the end of 2023.
“We are very supportive of President Bazoum’s regional vision of economic development, which combines security with growth and education,” the European diplomat said.
Borrell also argued that Niger is an economic model for the Sahel, particularly in terms of energy development, and we are working together on this, with the commissioning this evening of the Gorou Banda solar power plant, which will provide electricity for 500,000 people, equivalent to 30 MW of electricity, half of which comes from Nigeria.
The EU is ramping up its support to Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world after France and several western countries pulled out of neighboring Mali.