IMF, Niger reach staff-level agreement on $51 million loan

NIAMEY (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Niger have reached a staff-level agreement on a second programme review that will allow for a disbursement of about $51 million if approved in December, the IMF said on Wednesday.

Niger is under a three-year programme with the IMF to help it recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Economic growth is expected to increase to 7.1 percent in 2022 with the ongoing recovery in agriculture and private investment, the IMF said in a statement.

(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya; Writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by James Macharia Chege)