Landscape analysis
The African Union (AU), through the African Science Technology and Innovation Indicators (ASTII) has made the issue of scientific research and technological innovation a priority program in the perspective of the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in member countries. The ASTII actually recommends all AU member states to have a policy in Scientific Research and Technological Innovation and to integrate it in their development programmes. Niger is complying to the recommendation, since a science, technology and innovation policy has been developed. For its implementation to become a reality, there is still need for an action plan. Niger has adopted the Politique Nationale d’Enseignement Supérieur et de Recherche (National Higher Education and Research Policy - PNESR), developed in 2003 and updated in 2012 by the Union Économique et Monétaire Ouest-africaine (West African Economic and Monetary Union - UEMOA/PAES), as well as a Politique des Sciences, Technologie et Innovation du Niger (Science, Technology and Innovation Policy of Niger - POSTINI), validated in 2012.
By creating the Fonds d'Appui à la Recherche Scientifique et à l'Innovation (Support Fund for Scientific Research and Technological Innovation - FARSIT) the country has realised that development can’t be done without a substantial investment in the field of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI). The Abdou Moumouni University, as a pioneer in the setting up of a Scientific Council and the organisation of the foundations of scientific research, was mandated by the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur, de la recherche et de l’innovation (Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation - MESRI) to organise the first National Scientific Days from 14 to 16 January 2015 with the general theme of ‘‘scientific research and technological innovation for development."