Niger Market Town Development Study: Final Report

摘要

Nearly 90% of the population in Niger depends on an agricultural economy. Policymakers are paying increasing attention to the role of market towns in supporting agricultural production and in providing alternative means of diversifying rural income. Strong market towns, by stimulating farm and off-farm production and delivering social services, could obviate the need for residents to seek employment elsewhere. Focusing on two of Niger's departments -- Dosso and Maradi -- the report describes and analyzes the current and potential role of market towns as growth centers in subregional and national economic development and examines the primary linkages (i.e., production, consumption, and income linkages) between rural areas and urban centers. The report examines the potential impact of the Government of Niger's plans to gradually decentralize budgetary authority from the national level to lower levels of government. Donor projects in the two regions, and their implications for market town development, are discussed briefly. The final section proposes a national strategy for the promotion of market towns.