Niger: Capacity Building and EITI Outreach for PWYP Coalition

The Government of Niger endorsed the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) in March 2005, but to date, little has been done to further implementation. As a result of needs identified by regional partners and local civil society groups in Niger, RWI provided support in collaboration with the World Bank's Development Grant Facility to two local organizations: the Journalists' Network for Human Rights (RJDH) and the Network of Organizations for Transparency and Budget Analysis (Rotab-PWYP Niger). Together Rotab and RJDH are initiating EITI capacity building activities for the Publish What You Pay (PWYP) coalition and media in Niger. RWI continues to support the PWYP Niger coalition through smaller grants awarded in 2009.

Rotab takes the lead on activities to increase the capacity of the PWYP coalition members to better understand the origins, objectives, principles and criteria of the EITI, and to increase awareness of mining affected communities and locally-elected officials on the issues of resource revenue transparency. In order to build the analytical capacity of coalition members and to develop a better understanding of the need for transparency and the key issues and concepts involved, the coalition will arrange awareness and training sessions focused on the transparent management of extractive industry revenues and on social communication strategies.

Rotab's proposal also stresses the importance of engaging in this project as a means to promote solidarity among coalition members so as to reinforce the spirit of partnership and collaboration. All too often, coalitions fail to realize this key component to successful advocacy initiatives, and RWI commends the Niger Coalition's efforts to instill such principles in the early years of their organizational development.

RJDH takes the lead on strengthening the capacity of journalists, so that the media can play a leading role in raising public awareness and advocating for greater transparency in the extractives sector to draw civil society and citizens into the EITI process. The objectives of RJDH's project include training CSOs in EITI processes, raising public awareness about the importance of transparent revenue management, enhancing the network of CSOs and local communities, and building the capacity of the media to conduct their own analyses of information and thereby trigger pressure on policymakers and companies to fulfill their commitments to implement the EITI.

For more information on the activities of the Journalists' Network for Human Rights, please see www.rjdh-niger.org/. For more information on Rotab-PWYP Niger, please see www.rotabniger.org/.