Niger Orders Withdrawal of Sex Education App by NGO

NIAMEY – The Nigerien government has mandated the immediate cessation of a sex education application distributed by the NGO Women Environmental Program (WEP). The directive, issued on February 14, 2024, by the Minister of Communication, Posts, and the Digital Economy, Sidi Mohamed Raliou, requires the NGO to remove the ‘Yamaro’ application on sexual and reproductive health from the internet and all other distribution channels.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the decision was announced during a meeting between Minister Raliou and representatives from the NGO, including its accounting manager, Mijinguiné Abdou Maman Sani, and the head of Communication, Ms. Salac Moumouni Aichatou. The minister emphasized that the application had not received approval from relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the High Authority for the Protection of Personal Data, and the Ministry responsible for the Digital Economy. The Director of Cybersecurity, Ali Soumana Abdourahamane, was also present at the meeting.

The NGO Women Environmental Program, which operates in several countries including Burkina Faso, Togo, and Nigeria, has been identified as aiming to serve society through its initiatives.