Niger’s competitive dialogue: three years of empty promises in public procurement
Niger’s Decree No. 2022-743/PRN/PM, issued on 29 September 2022, was meant to overhaul public procurement. By introducing a competitive dialogue procedure, officials promised to streamline public spending, boost transparency, and give the state access to the technical expertise needed for major development projects.
Three years on, the result is clear: the reform has been little more than a communications exercise, an illusion of modernisation that has delivered no tangible benefit for Niger’s economy.
A sophisticated procedure that never left the page
The idea behind competitive dialogue was appealing: let public buyers discuss with several shortlisted candidates to jointly design the most suitable technical, legal, or financial solutions. But in the daily work of Niger’s public administration, this provision has remained a dead letter.
- No technical ownership: Lacking proper training and clear methodological guides for procurement officers, the mechanism is seen as too complex and cumbersome to handle.
- Stuck in old habits: Contracting authorities keep favouring traditional methods or, worse, overusing derogatory procedures without delivering the added value promised by the 2022 text.
- No major project completed: In three years, the large infrastructure contracts that were supposed to benefit from this competitive flexibility have produced no visible spin-offs or measurable efficiency gains for the public treasury.
From reform rhetoric to the reality of direct deals
While the argument of “refoundation” and rigorous management is on everyone’s lips, the persistence of direct award practices and negotiated deals contradicts the intentions set out in the 2022 decree.
Rather than creating a climate of healthy competition and transparency, the revamped legal framework often serves as an administrative showcase to reassure observers, while the reality on the ground remains marked by opacity and a lack of accountability. Local businesses, which were supposed to be the first to benefit from a more open dialogue with the state, continue to complain about restricted access to major opportunities and slow procedures.
The record of an unworkable legal framework
After three years of theoretical application, the record of the 29 September 2022 decree highlights the gap between legislative inflation and operational reality:
- No impact on cost reduction: The financial optimisation expected from stronger competition has not shown up in public accounts.
- Transparency that is an illusion: Audits and evaluation reports on the actual use of competitive dialogue remain virtually non-existent.
- A brake on investment: The gap between the texts on paper and their real application fosters uncertainty for serious economic partners.
Decree No. 2022-743 has been nothing more than a legal veneer with no knock-on effect. Tested by time, the introduction of competitive dialogue looks more like a communications manoeuvre than a genuine lever for transforming public procurement in Niger.
