Private Telecommunication Companies and Climate Finance: Evidence from the Niger Republic

Abstract

Recently, the number of private telecommunication companies is increasing in the West African region. These private companies could be key actors in financing climate actions in their operating countries. Yet, the contribution of private telecommunication companies in financing climate actions in West African countries is not well documented. Accordingly, this study aims to examine the contributions of private telecommunication companies in financing climate actions in the Niger Republic. This study is based on secondary data collected through a systematic review. The literature search was conducted through Web of Science, Google Scholar, and the blog pages of the websites of the key private telecommunication companies operating in the Niger Republic. The findings of the study showed that several climate actions were executed by the key private telecommunication companies operating in the Niger Republic. These included both climate adaptation and mitigation strategies that targeted to combat desertification, fight against youth unemployment, alleviate poverty, reduce population illiteracy, and reduce the exposure of the vulnerable groups to food insecurity. Consequently, an implementation of a comprehensive public-private strategy between the government and the private telecommunication actors to finance climate actions could significantly reinforce the effort of the country to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.