Niger’s competitive dialogue decree hits a wall: the moment reform lost its momentum
When Decree No. 2022-743/PRN/PM was signed into law on 29 September 2022, it was presented as a decisive turning point for public procurement in Niger. By introducing the competitive dialogue procedure, the authorities pledged to streamline public spending, strengthen transparency and give the state the technical expertise it needed for major development projects. Three years on, that turning point has turned into a standstill: the reform has delivered nothing tangible for the national economy, and the momentum it was supposed to create has evaporated.
The promise of a breakthrough that never came
The logic behind competitive dialogue was appealing. Public buyers would be able to negotiate with several shortlisted candidates and jointly design the most suitable technical, legal or financial solutions. In the daily routine of Nigerien administrations, however, the mechanism has remained a dead letter.
- No technical ownership: Without proper training or clear methodological guides for procurement officers, the procedure is seen as too complex and cumbersome to handle.
- A retreat into habit: Contracting authorities keep falling back on traditional methods or, more worryingly, on derogatory procedures that bypass the very added value the 2022 text was meant to deliver.
- No flagship project delivered: In three years, the large infrastructure contracts that were supposed to benefit from this competitive flexibility have produced no visible spin-offs and no measurable efficiency gains for the public treasury.
From refoundation rhetoric to direct negotiation as usual
While the language of “refoundation” and rigorous management is on every official’s lips, the persistence of direct awards and negotiated deals contradicts the intentions set out in the 2022 decree.
Instead of establishing a climate of healthy competition and transparency, the revamped legal framework often serves as an administrative shop window to reassure observers, while realities on the ground remain marked by opacity and a lack of accountability. Local companies, which were supposed to be the first beneficiaries of a more open dialogue with the state, continue to denounce restricted access to major opportunities and the slow pace of procedures.
The verdict on a legal framework that does not work
After three years of theoretical application, the record of the 29 September 2022 decree exposes the gap between legislative inflation and operational reality:
- No impact on cost reduction: The financial optimisation expected from stronger competition has not materialised in public accounts.
- Transparency in name only: Audits and evaluation reports on the actual use of competitive dialogue are virtually non-existent.
- A drag on investment: The gap between the texts on paper and their real-world application fuels uncertainty for serious economic partners.
Decree No. 2022-743 has been little more than a legal veneer with no knock-on effect. Tested by time, the introduction of competitive dialogue looks far more like a communication exercise than a genuine lever for transforming public procurement in Niger.