The Nigerien government has announced that it has revised upwards the state budget for the year 2020, we learn from an official source.

From 2,266.15 billion, the budget increases to 2,405.53 billion FCFA, an increase of 139.38 billion FCFA, reads the communiqué of the Council of Ministers of May 8, 2020.

"The global health crisis, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is having negative socio-economic consequences. These consequences lead in particular to revenue losses and increases in expenditure that make it necessary to modify the initial budget estimates," the statement said.

As of May 7, 2020, Niger has recorded 781 confirmed positive cases of Covid-19 out of a total of 3245 tests carried out including 42 deaths, 586 cured and 153 under treatment.