| Summary: | Located in the heart of Mali, the Office
du Niger (ON) is one of the oldest and largest irrigation
schemes in Sub-Saharan Africa. The French, who began the
scheme in 1932, planned on developing about 1,000,000
hectares (ha) over a period of 50 years. The scheme did not
provide the expected resources for cotton and rice farming,
and a major source of exploitation of farmers. Change began
in the 1980's with Government/donor led reforms that
resulted in dissolving the monopoly power of ON and
increasing citizen participation in its management. This
report provides the context and details on how the
government of Mali became committed to reform of the ON, an
irrigated rice scheme. The government's decision is
presented as the outcome of a series of small power shifts
triggered by pro-reform players. Reform advocates played a
key role, and identified opportunities and applied their
skills to tilt the power balance between agency and farmers
to further goals of sustainability and partnership. Initial
steps for reform had a significant impact, as they raised
yields and farmer incomes in a single season. Coalitions
grew into partnership institutions that became effective
enough for government to consolidate them into a legal and
financial framework. This case study serves as an
illustration of how the World Bank and other donors can help
governments turn public irrigation systems into financially
sustainable operations.
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