MCC has announced a three-year, $23 million program to focus on corruption and strengthen demand for girls’ education in Niger. It is the 19th approved Threshold Program for the MCC and brings the total committed funding to approximately $419 million. This is also the first Threshold Program to exceed by design the 24 month approximate scope for action to reach Compact eligibility.Of the four indicators targeted, Niger has consistently failed both Control of Corruption and Girls’ Primary Education Completion Rate -- making the program’s focus on these two areas fitting. The focus of a Threshold Program on the other two core components -- Land Rights and Access and Business Start Up is less clear though as Niger passes the former and already passes the category (economic freedom) which contains both of these indicators.Niger’s main obstacle to full Compact eligibility is now the Investing in People category, in which, during the year that the Threshold program was negotiated, 2 of the 5 indicators plummeted below the median. As the program is currently constructed it is not likely to help Niger surmount the 3 of 5 indicators needed to pass this category. While there may be compelling reasons to focus on the new Land Rights and Access and Business Start-Up indicators, these aren’t the ones standing in the way of Niger becoming eligible for a Compact. This raises questions of the stated purpose of the Threshold Program overall – an issue we have raised most recently in our Country Selection Round paper; stay tuned for forthcoming Threshold Program analysis from the MCA Monitor team. And in the meantime, press releases from the MCC better explaining why the target areas are selected and how they fulfill the goals of the Threshold Program would be welcome and greatly appreciated.
