Niger’s competitive dialogue: three years, no results, just noise
Decree No. 2022-743/PRN/PM of 29 September 2022 was unveiled with great fanfare as a turning point for public procurement in Niger. By introducing the competitive dialogue procedure, officials pledged to streamline public spending, boost transparency, and give the state access to the technical expertise needed for major development projects.
Three years on, the verdict is blunt: the reform has been little more than a publicity exercise, a mirage of modernisation that has delivered no tangible benefit for Niger’s economy.
A sophisticated procedure that never left the drawing board
The concept behind competitive dialogue was appealing: allow public buyers to engage with several shortlisted bidders to jointly design the most suitable technical, legal, or financial solutions. But in the daily operations of Nigerien public bodies, this provision has remained a dead letter.
- No technical ownership: With inadequate training and unclear 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, more worryingly, overusing derogatory procedures without delivering the added value promised by the 2022 text.
- No flagship project delivered: In three years, the major infrastructure contracts that were supposed to benefit from this competitive flexibility have shown no visible spinoffs or measurable efficiency gains for the public purse.
From refoundation rhetoric to direct-dealing reality
While the language of “refoundation” and rigorous management is on everyone’s lips, the persistence of direct award practices and negotiated deals contradicts the stated aims of the 2022 decree.
Rather than fostering fair competition and transparency, the revamped legal framework often serves as an administrative showcase to reassure observers, while on-the-ground realities remain marked by opacity and a lack of accountability. Local businesses, which were supposed to be the main beneficiaries of a more open dialogue with the state, continue to complain about restricted access to major opportunities and slow procedures.
The toll 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 materialised in public accounts.
- Illusory transparency: Audits and evaluation reports on the actual use of competitive dialogue remain virtually non-existent.
- A drag on investment: The disconnect between the texts on paper and their real-world 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.