Project for the development of green jobs through the recovery of degraded lands
The regions of Zinder, Tahoua and Agadez are proposed for the implementation of the 3S project In Niger. Only 25% of the available land is productive in these areas. These regions are also areas of high out-migration and at the “crossroad” of irregular migration for all of West Africa.
Despite the ambition to restore 213,000 ha per year, the government’s capacity to intervene is limited. In 2017, only 33,000 ha were rehabilitated. As part of the 3S Initiative, the government plans to reclaim 150,000 ha of land through dune fixation, invasive plant control and assisted natural regeneration (RNA). The number of jobs to be created through these activities is estimated at around 20,000 for the regions of Zinder and Tahoua, and 4,000 in Agadez.
The land to be rehabilitated includes pastoral land, silvicultural and agro-sylvo-pastoral land. These activities will not be directly related to job creation but are also vital to avoid conflict between farmers and ranchers. For those who wish to be part of the project and work in agriculture, the government plans to grant each beneficiary at least 0.5 ha of titled land.
Key vulnerable groups to the be targeted include: young unemployed rural people to limit the temptation to migrate irregularly or fall into delinquency and crime, returned migrants and displaced persons to support their socio-professional reintegration, and women.