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1. Mahamadou Issoufou is the President of Niger
==== 2. Niger is a country located in western Africa, and was named after the Niger River. It is completely landlocked, and filled with valuable resources (many of which experience constant price fluctuations). Niger is constantly faced with environmental issues that deteriorate the country’s ability to flourish, including regular droughts that affect the entire Sahel region of Africa. Niger became independent from France in 1960, and has since lived under five different constitutions and under three different military rules, all the while being plagued by poverty, illnesses, illiteracy, and the frequent attacks of rebel groups. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, along with having a very high illiteracy rate (at about 71%) and being second to last on the United Nation’s Human Development Index (number 186 out of 187 countries). ==== ==== 3. Mahamadou Issoufou was elected President of Niger in July of 2011, after winning 58% of the national vote. The incumbent before him was President Tandja, who was placed in prison for corruption after attempting to change the constitution in order to extend his term. Prior to his presidency, Issoufou held many prestigious governmental positions, such as Prime Minister (1993-1994), President of the National Assembly (1995-1996), leader of the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (1990-present). During the corrupted presidency of Mamadou Tandja, Issoufou was the main opposition leader. ==== ==== 4. The Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism was founded in part by Issoufou himself, and many ideas of the party are used in his platform as President of Niger. The current Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Bazoum, is the spokesperson for the political party. The chairperson for the party, who is one step below Issoufou (who has always been both the leader and president of the party since its foundation) is the Foumakoye Gado Secretary General of Niger. Bazoum works closely with Issoufou, and they support each other’s ideas of a citizen-based government in which more benefits would be given to those living in Niger. Gado has worked in the oil industry as Minister of Mines since 1993, and offers economical advice to Issofou. Although Niger does not have prominent government funds, Gado believes that necessities, such as food and aid, should take prominence over lesser issues that do not immediately endanger citizens. These are policies Issoufou has brought into office with him, as one of the main points on his platform is to help the citizens of Niger. ====

5. Benchmarks of the Mo Ibraham Foundation:
6. If given the 5,000,000 dollar prize, Niger could not only donate some of the earnings to the poorly-funded government, but use the majority to provide education, healthcare, and food for the citizens of Niger, who have seen their share of hardship. Although Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, President Mahamadou Issoufou is not mainly worried about reshaping the devastated government, but rather providing aid to those living in Niger who have experienced attacks by rebel groups, have been plagued by disease, those who are hungry, and the uneducated. Issoufou was elected in 2011 by a majority vote of 58%. His platform was to return to a government that suited the needs of the civilians. He is backed by Prime Minister Brigi Rafani, who also believes that the rights and needs of the citizens are greatly endangered. Having one of the lowest illiteracy rates in the world, and also having the median age of about 15, the money could be used to produce an education system that would not only teach teenagers of both genders to read and write, but to work to support their government and their families. The money would also be used to provide healthcare to all civilians, which includes clean water, and to import a bigger supply of foodstuffs from their main trading partners, France and China.
 * 1)  Safety and Rule of Law
 * 2)  On the Mo Ibrahim index, Niger was number 39 for Safety and Rule of Law, and had been steadily decreasing. This was most likely do to the political unrest and the corruption of the ex-President. Under the lead of Issoufou, many things have changed, creating a more secure environment.
 * 3)  Participation and Human Rights
 * 4)  Niger was ranked number 29 for Participation and Human Rights, which was surprising due to the judgement made by the United Nations Human Development Index in which Niger placed second to last. I believe that this is due to the lack of funding in both the government and also in the communities themselves, as over 60% of the nation is living below the poverty line. This ranking had continuously decreased.
 * 5)  When discussing gender rights, Niger was ranked #51 overall in Africa. Women in Niger are not provided with an education, and this is something that Issoufou is working to change.
 * 6)  Sustainable Economic Activity
 * 7)  Niger was ranked 32 in Sustainable Economic Activity, which has risen throughout the years. The main export of Niger is uranium ore, the value of which fluctuates on a daily basis. Due to the climate, agriculture cannot be used as a legitimate way of making a living in the ⅘ of the country that is located in the Sahara desert.
 * 8)  Niger was ranked 49th in Infrastructure. This is most likely due to the unworkable environment for planting and harvesting crops, and the ongoing droughts that plague the nation.
 * 9)  Human Development
 * 10)  Niger was ranked 47th in Human Development, with a significant increase each year that the Mo Ibrahim has been assessed. Although this is far down the list, it is improving at a steady rate.
 * 11)  Niger was ranked 46th as for education. Illiteracy is a big problem in Niger, one that Issoufou hopes to begin to resolve during his time in office.
 * 12)  Niger was also ranked 45th in health, as communicable diseases plague the nation. Many health issues are directly related to the lack of fresh drinking water, as the country is completely landlocked and experiences droughts quite often. Also prominent in this region are AIDs and HIV.

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* United States. Central Intelligence Agency. Library. CIA World Factbook. Comp. Central Intelligence Agency. N.p.: United States CIA, n.d. CIA - The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Web. 1 Oct. 2012. =====