Niamey, July 19, 2013 - The Chargé d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy Richard K. Bell represented the U.S. Government on Friday in an endorsement ceremony for the Government of Niger's new Programme Sectoriel  de l’Education et de la Formation. The Chargé d'Affaires joined a community of technical and financial partners of the Government of Niger, including heads of diplomatic missions, as well as non-governmental civil society actors working on education in Niger in endorsing the national program. 

The recently finalized Programme Sectoriel  de l’Education et de la Formation is the first time that the Government of Niger has developed a long-term planning document for the entire education sector, from preschool to higher education, including research; non-formal education and literacy; and vocational, professional and technical training. The program covers the years from 2014 to 2024.

By signing the document, the community of partners also endorsed the Government of Niger's bid for funding from the Global Partnership on Education, an international multilateral funding mechanism, and signaled their committment to a partnership framework coordinating all education interventions in Niger around the new national program. The USAID education program NECS is an example of that coordination as the program, which will be active from 2013 to 2016, features many key elements included in the PSEF.