AA/Niamey/Kane Illa

Belgium announced, on Wednesday, funding of 32 billion FCFA (60 million USD) for the fight against climate change in the Sahel. The financing agreement was signed by the Nigerien Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassoumi Massaoudou and the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Niger and Chad Myriam Bacquelaine, during a ceremony in Niamey.

“The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Hassoumi Massaoudou and the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Niger and Chad, Myriam Bacquelaine, proceeded, this Wednesday, April 20, 2022, to the signing of two conventions relating to the fight against climate change in the Sahel for a total amount of 32 billion FCFA over the period 2022-2026”, reported by the Nigerian Press Agency (ANP).

“This cooperation program will be implemented in four countries of the Sahel, namely Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Senegal”, added the same source, specifying that “Niamey was chosen as the headquarters of this program in due to the presence on site of several institutions with a regional vocation, in particular the regional agro-hydro-meteorology center (Agrhymet) and the Niger Basin Authority (ABN) engaged in the fight against climate change in partnership with the Ministry of the Environment and the Fight against Desertification”.

Quoted by the ANP, the Belgian ambassador indicated that it is urgent “to join forces in the fight to counter the impact of climate change which is particularly felt in the countries of the Sahel”. As for Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou, he indicated that “Niger has always placed the issue of the environment and climate at the heart of its priorities, in particular through a long-standing commitment and its regional leadership demonstrated on many occasions and which has also earned him the presidency of the climate commission for the Sahel region at the end of COP 22 in Morocco in 2016”.

Only part of the dispatches, which Anadolu Agency broadcasts to its subscribers via the Internal Broadcasting System (HAS), is broadcast on the AA website, in a summarized manner. Please contact us to subscribe.