SNV Netherlands Development Organisation

Finalist 2016

Niger is a poverty-stricken country with 85% of the population living in rural areas. SNV, the Netherlands Development Organisation, intends to develop the Bio4TDev project to improve the living conditions for rural households and promote sustainable transport in the Tahoua municipality.

Neem trees, introduced to Africa earlier this century, are a vital commodity and produce neem oil, which can be used as biofuel for local transport. SNV strives to plant over 1,330 neem trees, creating the potential for rural employment, increasing income, improving the environment, sequestering Co2 and displacing oil imports. Residents from 7 villages will be employed in seed collection and processing. Along with this, biodiesel transit vehicles and ambulances will be used to enable the transportation of disabled and disadvantaged people.

As was seen by SNV in other villages across Niger, biofuel for sustainable transport creates suitable conditions for sustainable development by improving the productivity of all village activities and the conservation of local biodiversity.