The scheme will see construction of a 1.6Bm3 dam to help regulate the Niger river, in Niger, to provide water for key uses, including irrigation, water supply and sanitation, and hydroelectric generation. In addition, the funds will also help address environmental degradation.
In total the project is help irrigate 122,000 ha and generate 629GWh of electricity per year.
The US$62M funding package approved by AfDB comprises in equal parts a loan and a grant. The funds are being given to the Kandadjo Ecosystems Regeneration and the Niger Valley Development programme (KERNVDP). The programme is a priority for the Niger Basin Commission’s Investment Programme for 2008-12, and was itself approved in April by the member states of the Niger Basin Authority.
