Niger’s competitive dialogue: the decisive moment that never came
When Decree No. 2022-743/PRN/PM was signed on 29 September 2022, it was meant to be a turning point. The new text introduced competitive dialogue as a flagship tool to overhaul public procurement, promising tighter control of public spending, greater transparency, and the technical expertise needed for major development projects. Three years on, that promised breakthrough has not arrived. Instead of a decisive shift, Niger’s procurement system is still waiting for the momentum that the reform was supposed to create.
A sophisticated procedure that never took off
The logic behind competitive dialogue was compelling: allow public buyers to sit down 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 largely theoretical.
- No technical ownership: Without proper training and clear methodological guides for procurement officers, the procedure is widely seen as too complex and cumbersome to handle.
- Sticking with old habits: Contracting authorities continue to favour traditional methods or, more troublingly, rely on derogatory procedures without delivering the added value promised by the 2022 text.
- No flagship project delivered: In three years, the large infrastructure contracts that were supposed to benefit from this competitive flexibility have produced no visible results or measurable efficiency gains for the public treasury.
From reform rhetoric to the reality of direct deals
While the language of “refoundation” and strict management is repeated at every level, the persistence of direct award practices and negotiated deals contradicts the intentions set out in the 2022 decree.
Rather than fostering healthy competition and transparency, the revised legal framework often serves as an administrative showcase to reassure observers, while conditions on the ground remain 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 a legal framework that is not working
After three years of theoretical application, the balance sheet of the 29 September 2022 decree highlights the gap between legislative output 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 remain almost 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 amounted to a legal makeover with no knock-on effect. Tested by time, the introduction of competitive dialogue looks more like a communication exercise than a genuine lever for transforming public procurement in Niger.
