Niger River Commission

The Niger Basin Authority (French: Autorité du Bassin du Niger) is an intergovernmental organisation in West Africa aiming to foster co-operation in managing and developing the resources of the basin of the River Niger. The group is referred to by both French and English acronyms, NBA or ABN.

Inspired by the Tennessee Valley Authority, the organisation was founded in 1964 as the River Niger Commission. On 21 November 1980, it was refounded as the Niger Basin Authority.

The Niger Basin Authority defines its purpose as the promotion of cooperation among member countries to ensure integrated development of resources. The organisation originally defined its mission as the cooperative management of water resources, most notably, but not limited to, the Niger River. While centering of water and hydroelectric resources, the NBA nations use the organisation to harmonise development of energy, agriculture, forestry, transport, communications, and industrial resources of the member nations. The NBA has worked to create a "Integrated Development Plan of the Basin", especially focusing on cross boundary projects. The NBA itself has been ceded no sovereign power over resources or management, and therefore all regulation must be imposed by individual sovereign governments. While not the original focus of the NBA, environmental protection from the threats of desertification, deforestation and pollution of the rivers by agriculture and industry have become a major theme of their work.

Nine nations which include part of the Niger Basin are members: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria. While a small area of Algeria falls within the Niger Basin, it is not a member of the NBA. It is based in Niamey and works in both French and English.

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