CARENI, a digital platform to modernize pension management...

The Nigerien government is ramping up efforts to modernize public services and make daily life easier for citizens. As part of these efforts, the Niger Autonomous Pension Fund (CAREN) launched the digital platform CARENI COLLECTE on February 24 in Niamey. This innovation aims to optimize pension registration and simplify access to benefits for over 35,000 retirees, who receive a total monthly amount exceeding 3 billion CFA francs (approximately 5 million dollars).

According to Ali Ousseini Hadiza, the General Director of CARENI, this platform is not just about digitization. It represents a profound transformation in the management of pensions, centered around five major areas, including the introduction of a biometric card. This card, which integrates a fingerprint and all necessary information, replaces the physical book and allows for the identification of civil servants while facilitating access to healthcare services.

Thanks to this innovation, retirees will no longer need to travel to CARENI for each transaction. The biometric card will also help reduce waiting times and repeated trips, thus improving the system’s efficiency. This project is part of a broader digital transformation in Niger, where public institutions are accelerating their shift to technological solutions. The country aims to position itself favorably in terms of e-governance, despite a modest ranking in the latest United Nations report (187th out of 193, with a score of 0.21157 out of 1).

The implementation of CARENI COLLECTE should significantly improve access to pensions and healthcare services, thereby enhancing retirees’ quality of life. However, challenges remain, particularly in raising awareness and training users on digital tools, as well as addressing connectivity issues in rural areas. Continued support for retirees and ongoing improvement of the platform will be crucial for the success of this initiative.