CEPPS has been assisting Niger’s democratic transition since 2010 in key areas such as electoral reforms, election administration, non-partisan election observation, party poll watching, improved government oversight through parliamentary strengthening, reforms in extractive industries, the promotion and protection of women's rights, and the facilitation of political dialogue between government and opposition groups, and among civil society.
CEPPS Overarching Goals:
CEPPS currently works to increase awareness on electoral reforms and the need for peaceful and inclusive elections. The consortium provides technical assistance to the Independent National Election Commission (Commission Électorale Nationale Indépendante – CENI) to administer transparent and credible elections while promoting the participation of women and young people in electoral and political processes.
CEPPS Approach:
CEPPS supports increasing awareness among political parties and citizens for electoral reforms and peaceful and inclusive elections, as well as assisting CSOs in organizing public information and advocacy campaigns to promote awareness and knowledge of electoral reforms, including voter registration processes. Participation of women and young people in the elections as candidates and voters is also an issue CEPPS promotes.
Working directly with the CENI, we support inclusive organizational capacity-building and strategic planning, including the implementation of a country-wide Biometric Voter Registry (BVR).
CEPPS Key Achievements in Niger:
CEPPS have increased broad access and participation in Niger’s political processes:
- Reached nearly 10,000 Nigeriens since 2019 in the country’s eight regions and provided them with information on why and how to obtain official government identification documents, how to register to vote, and how and where to vote on election day.
- Contributed to incremental progress in reaching political consensus on electoral reforms among political parties.
- Helped prepare potential future political party youth and women candidates on political leadership, communication, and organizing electoral campaigns.
- Assisted the CENI in biometrically registering more than 7.5 million people in advance of the 2020 national and local elections. For the first time in the history of Niger, the number of women registered exceeded that of men.
- Helped train more than 100 regional CENI officials on Electoral Dispute Resolution (EDR) in advance of the nationwide promulgation of the 2020 provisional elector registry.
