Niger’s Economy to Grow 15 % in 2012

Niger expects its resource-rich economy to grow 15 % in 2012, President Mahamadou Issoufou said on Tuesday, citing forecasts from the IMF and the World Bank.

Oil and mining exports by the West African country, which is a top world uranium producer although its population remains among the poorest on the planet, are projected to increase rapidly in the coming five years, according to the IMF.

Issoufou gave the growth forecast, which compared with estimated 3.8 percent GDP growth in 2011, at an event in Chatham House in London.

Niger joined the ranks of Africa’s oil producers late last year following a $5 billion joint venture deal with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), according to Reuters.