The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Niger: Smart Villages for rural growth and digital inclusion (P167543) Niger: Smart Villages for rural growth and digital inclusion (P167543) WESTERN AND CENTRAL AFRICA | Niger | Digital Development Global Practice | IBRD/IDA | Investment Project Financing | FY 2021 | Seq No: 7 | ARCHIVED on 12-Jan-2024 | ISR59008 | Implementing Agencies: ANSI -- Agence Nationale pour la Société de l’Information / National Information Society Agency, Ministere des Finances, Ministère des Postes, des Télécommunications et de l’Economie Numérique (MPTEN), Projet Villages Intelligents, Unite de Gestion du Projet Key Dates Key Project Dates Bank Approval Date: 08-Jul-2020 Effectiveness Date: 21-Oct-2020 Planned Mid Term Review Date: 14-Feb-2024 Actual Mid-Term Review Date: Original Closing Date: 23-Oct-2026 Revised Closing Date: 23-Oct-2026 pdoTable Project Development Objectives Project Development Objective (from Project Appraisal Document) The project aims to increase access to cellphone and broadband services in rural areas and to bring digital financial services to selected underserved areas. Has the Project Development Objective been changed since Board Approval of the Project Objective? No Components Table Name 1. Enabling environment:(Cost $4.00 M) 2. Developing rural connectivity:(Cost $63.00 M) 3. Improving digital financial inclusion:(Cost $28.00 M) 4. Strengthening project management and stakeholder capacity-building:(Cost $5.00 M) 5. Contingent Emergency Response Component Overall Ratings Name Previous Rating Current Rating Progress towards achievement of PDO Satisfactory Satisfactory Overall Implementation Progress (IP) Satisfactory Satisfactory Overall Risk Rating Substantial Substantial Implementation Status and Key Decisions The required preliminary studies for project implementation have been carried out. There is also significant progress under all Components of the Project and key activities such as the opening of digital centers (113 operational to date), deployment of mobile broadband connectivity in 364 rural locations certified by the auditing firm, as well as the design of customer centric digital financial services platform are underway. Leveraging on the digital centers, the Project enabled more than 30,607 persons to complete mobile financial transactions to this day, out of which 22,010 female users (representing 71.91% of users), and provided digital skills training to 198,000 persons, including 80,775 women (representing 40,8% of training beneficiaries). 1/12/2024 Page 1 of 8 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Niger: Smart Villages for rural growth and digital inclusion (P167543) Risks Systematic Operations Risk-rating Tool Risk Category Rating at Approval Previous Rating Current Rating Political and Governance High Moderate High Macroeconomic Substantial Moderate High Sector Strategies and Policies High Moderate Moderate Technical Design of Project or Program Substantial Moderate Moderate Institutional Capacity for Implementation and Substantial Moderate Moderate Sustainability Fiduciary Substantial Moderate Moderate Environment and Social Moderate Moderate Moderate Stakeholders Moderate Moderate Moderate Other High Substantial Substantial Overall High Substantial Substantial Results PDO Indicators by Objectives / Outcomes 1. Enabling Environment IN01374012 ►Mobile broadband (3G and above) penetration rates (per 100 inhabitants) (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 5.30 31.05 34.95 25.00 Date 31-Dec-2018 23-Jun-2023 30-Nov-2023 31-Dec-2025 Mobile broadband (3G and above) penetration rates (per 100 inhabitants) have increased slightly since the last ISR (June 2023) and are expected to increase significantly with the rollout of rural broadband Comments: connectivity sites. IN01374014 Mobile broadband (3G and above) estimated penetration rates for women (per 100 inhabitants) (Percentage, Custom Breakdown) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 4.59 19.30 19.30 25.00 1/12/2024 Page 2 of 8 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Niger: Smart Villages for rural growth and digital inclusion (P167543) Date 01-Aug-2019 23-Jun-2023 30-Nov-2023 31-Dec-2025 2. Rural Connectivity IN01374011 ►Percentage of the population covered with mobile broadband signal (3G and above) (Percentage, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 65.29 73.65 76.62 90.00 Date 01-Aug-2019 23-Jun-2023 30-Nov-2023 31-Dec-2025 Mobile broadband (3G and above) network coverage (percentage of population covered) (for all operators). This indicator shows a small improvement over the baseline in line with planned network roll- Comments: out. IN01374013 ►Number of villages, previously with no mobile broadband coverage, served with mobile broadband under the project (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 364.00 364.00 2,000.00 Date 31-Dec-2019 23-Jun-2023 30-Nov-2023 31-Dec-2025 The Number of locations having no form of mobile broadband coverage (3G and above) which have been provided with mobile broadband service, under the project is 364 (16.73% of the planned 2,175 locations Comments: to cover by 2026). 3. Digital Financial Inclusion IN01374015 ►Number of mobile money accounts ; (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 3,041,000.00 8,193,790.00 8,193,790.00 5,000,000.00 Date 31-Dec-2018 23-Jun-2023 30-Nov-2023 31-Dec-2025 Number of registered mobile money accounts. The data source is BCEAO and mobile money providers. Comments: IN01374016 Number of registered mobile money accounts owned by women (Number, Custom Supplement) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 456,000.00 510,000.00 510,000.00 1,000,000.00 IN01374017 ►Number of people who have been enabled, under the project, to make and receive mobile financial payments for the first time (of which women, and of which in underserved areas) (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 30,607.00 62,364.00 240,000.00 1/12/2024 Page 3 of 8 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Niger: Smart Villages for rural growth and digital inclusion (P167543) Date 01-Jan-2020 23-Jun-2023 30-Nov-2023 31-Dec-2025 The Number of people who have been enabled, under the project, to make and receive mobile financial payments (of which women, and of which in underserved areas) is derived from reports sent by digital Comments: centers and cross-checked by the PIU. IN01374018 Number of women who have been enabled, under the project, to make and receive mobile financial payments for the first time (Number, Custom Supplement) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 22,010.00 42,545.00 120,000.00 IN01374019 Number of people in underserved areas who have been enabled, under the project, to make and receive mobile financial payments for the first time (Number, Custom Supplement) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 58,569.00 150,000.00 Intermediate Results Indicators by Components 1. Enabling Environment IN01374020 ►Number of public officials or government employees trained under the project (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 64.00 64.00 50.00 Date 01-Aug-2019 23-Jun-2023 30-Nov-2023 31-Dec-2025 Number of public officials or government employees trained under the project, to help address some regulatory and legal constraints to the development of digital infrastructure and digital financial services. Comments: The 64 officials trained are members of the parliament and senior staff from MDA. IN01374024 ►Retail price of 1 GB per month of pre-paid mobile data, in US$ (Amount(USD), Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 3.44 0.80 0.80 1.20 Date 01-Aug-2019 23-Jun-2023 30-Nov-2023 31-Dec-2025 The Retail price of 1 GB per month of pre-paid mobile data, which is retrieved from cable.co.uk did not Comments: change since the last ISR. IN01374029 Retail price of 0.5 GB per month of pre-paid mobile data, in % of GNI per capita (Percentage, Custom Supplement) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 11.45 2.00 2.00 5.00 1/12/2024 Page 4 of 8 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Niger: Smart Villages for rural growth and digital inclusion (P167543) 2. Developing Rural Connectivity IN01374021 ►Private sector investment raised through the project (Amount(USD), Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 7,522,666.00 7,522,666.00 25,000,000.00 Date 01-Aug-2019 23-Jun-2023 30-Nov-2023 31-Dec-2025 The amount of Private sector investment raised through the project to expand broadband coverage in rural areas is provided by operators awarded rural connectivity contracts. This amount represents 76.27% Comments: of the advance payment of US$9,9 million currently disbursed. IN01374025 ►Number of villages connected to telecommunications and broadband networks (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 364.00 364.00 2,111.00 Date 01-Aug-2019 23-Jun-2023 30-Nov-2023 31-Dec-2025 The Number of locations having no form of mobile broadband coverage (3G and above) which have been provided with mobile broadband service, under the project is 364 (16.73% of the planned 2,175 locations Comments: to cover by 2026). IN01374027 ►Number of villages provided with small power generation system (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 31.00 580.00 Date 01-Aug-2019 23-Jun-2023 30-Nov-2023 31-Dec-2025 364 is Number of villages where power supply installed to run the local digital connectivity infrastructure Comments: and over-dimensioned so that spare electric power can be used by inhabitants for essential needs. 3. Improving Digital Financial Inclusion IN01374022 ►Number of digital centers created under the project (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 90.00 113.00 150.00 Date 01-Aug-2019 23-Jun-2023 30-Nov-2023 31-Dec-2025 There are currently 113 digital centers (physical points for people and firms to conduct cash-in and cash- out transactions, and to get help with making mobile and financial transactions), created under the project, Comments: including 5 mobile (2 buses and 3 containers) digital centers. IN01374028 1/12/2024 Page 5 of 8 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Niger: Smart Villages for rural growth and digital inclusion (P167543) ►Number of people trained for digital skills or knowledge under the project (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 103,219.00 198,021.00 50,000.00 Date 01-Aug-2019 23-Jun-2023 30-Nov-2023 31-Dec-2025 The Number of people enrolled in digital and financial literacy programs, under the project is provided by Comments: reports sent by digital centers and cross-checked by the PIU. IN01374030 Number of women trained for digital skills or knowledge under the project (Number, Custom Breakdown) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 80,775,000.00 137,329.00 25,000.00 Date 01-Aug-2019 23-Jun-2023 30-Nov-2023 31-Dec-2025 IN01374031 ►Number of merchants provided with vouchers for POS Terminals (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 500.00 Date 01-Aug-2019 23-Jun-2023 30-Nov-2023 31-Dec-2025 The distribution of POS Terminals has been put on hold in compliance with OP7.30 Comments: IN01374032 ►Number of agricultural producers and women using digital payments for their activity (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 0.00 50,000.00 Date 01-Aug-2019 23-Jun-2023 30-Nov-2023 31-Dec-2025 The number was not captured due to suspension of activities and difficulties to conduct surveys. Comments: IN01374033 ►Number of agricultural producers for which data was collected in the digital platform (for e-KYC and credit scoring purposes) (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 0.00 4,278.00 50,000.00 Date 01-Aug-2019 23-Jun-2023 30-Nov-2023 31-Dec-2025 Number of people enrolled on a digital registry from which information will be collected for KYC and credit Comments: scoring purposes. 4. Strengthening project management and stakeholder capacity building IN01374023 1/12/2024 Page 6 of 8 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Niger: Smart Villages for rural growth and digital inclusion (P167543) ►Number of grievances received, of which percentage addressed within 30 days (Number, Custom) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 15.00 20.00 100.00 Date 30-Jun-2020 23-Jun-2023 30-Nov-2023 30-Oct-2026 Five new grievances were received since last ISR. They all related to land acquisition/usage issues. Comments: IN01374026 Percentage of grievances addressed with 30 days (Percentage, Custom Supplement) Baseline Actual (Previous) Actual (Current) End Target Value 0.00 93.33 93.33 95.00 Performance-Based Conditions Data on Financial Performance Disbursements (by loan) Project Loan/Credit/TF Status Currency Original Revised Cancelled Disbursed Undisbursed % Disbursed P167543 IDA-66880 Effective USD 50.00 50.00 0.00 13.74 37.29 27% P167543 IDA-D6560 Effective USD 50.00 50.00 0.00 8.82 38.50 19% Key Dates (by loan) Project Loan/Credit/TF Status Approval Date Signing Date Effectiveness Date Orig. Closing Date Rev. Closing Date P167543 IDA-66880 Effective 08-Jul-2020 16-Jul-2020 21-Oct-2020 23-Oct-2026 23-Oct-2026 P167543 IDA-D6560 Effective 08-Jul-2020 16-Jul-2020 21-Oct-2020 23-Oct-2026 23-Oct-2026 Cumulative Disbursements 1/12/2024 Page 7 of 8 The World Bank Implementation Status & Results Report Niger: Smart Villages for rural growth and digital inclusion (P167543) Restructuring History There has been no restructuring to date. Related Project(s) There are no related projects. 1/12/2024 Page 8 of 8