Rural Communication: A Strategic Link for Poverty Alleviation in Niger

Excerpts from the article follow:

"Information and communication are vital in many social and economic human activities. In the recent years, scientific and technological advances provide populations living in urban and rural areas with innovative tools, increasing their productivity, ameliorating their access to basic social needs and reinforcing their involvement especially in Poverty alleviation and local good governance matters.

In Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world regarding its ranking in the UNDP Human Development Annual Report (173 of 174 selected countries in the World Report 2000), all partners in development, civil society, government, public and private operators, donors, NGOs are involved in a partnership process, aiming at providing rural populations with access to New Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The ongoing experience is undertaken in the framework of Rural Radio Network and Information Centers for Development (RURANET/ICD)

A Global and Participatory Approach

RURANET/ICD is a cooperative effort made in a participatory approach, involving Nigerien at the national and local levels, International institutions and non governmental organizations, providing resources and expertise in order to meet the rural population needs concerning the access to information and communication for economic and social development focused on poverty alleviation and on the empowerment of rural population to contribute to the building of good governance at the local and the national level.

Activities of the RURANET/ICD initiative include:

• Setting up a rural radio broadcasting network composed of 160 self managed solar units covering the main part of the country (20 units in each region)
• Setting up Information Centers for development around rural radio units, promoting solar energy for several use (TV, telephone, multimedia unit, water pumps, mill, drying system, etc)
• Training activities to empower local associations for management activities and information and communication qualitative production in local languages."