Niger's long-term challenges.
President Mahamadou Issoufou on August 3 warned that Niger’s high birth rate of 7.5 children per woman could threaten the country’s future. Uneducated and uncared-for youth could become a “menace to social cohesion and prosperity”, he said. Niger is second from bottom (187th out of 188 countries) in the UNDP Human Development Index. Long-term challenges, such as population growth, climate change and insecurity spillover, loom ahead.
The south-east will struggle with humanitarian problems, because of the overspill impact of the Boko Haram crisis in Nigeria.
An experimental national programme of cash welfare support for the poorest has had some positive results but failed to reduce malnutrition.
The government will struggle to reconcile heavy spending on defence with investment in health, education and economic development.
