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Households’ investments in durable and productive assets in Niger: quasi-experimental evidences from a cash transfer project

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  • Stoeffler, Quentin
  • Mills, Bradford

Abstract

Cash transfers programs are an increasingly popular tool to alleviate poverty by raising households’ consumption and well-being. However, the sustainability of the short-term improvement induced by the transfers is still an open question in Sub-Saharan Africa. By studying a cash transfer project in rural Niger 18 months after its termination, this article investigates whether transfers induce investments in assets and productive activities that result in improvements in wellbeing that survive the termination of program payments. Results indicate that livestock asset and local credit (tontines) participation significantly increase among project participants. There is also evidence of improvement in private assets, living standards, micro-enterprises and agriculture. The findings imply that cash transfer programs can have long-term sustainable impacts even in extremely, poor rural areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Stoeffler, Quentin & Mills, Bradford, 2014. "Households’ investments in durable and productive assets in Niger: quasi-experimental evidences from a cash transfer project," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 170212, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aaea14:170212
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.170212
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    Cited by:

    1. Stoeffler, Quentin & Mills, Bradford & del Ninno, Carlo, 2016. "Reaching the Poor: Cash Transfer Program Targeting in Cameroon," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 244-263.
    2. Jensen, Nathaniel D. & Barrett, Christopher B. & Mude, Andrew G., 2017. "Cash transfers and index insurance: A comparative impact analysis from northern Kenya," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 14-28.
    3. Luisa Natali & Sudhanshu Handa & Amber Peterman & David Seidenfeld & Gelson Tembo & UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti, 2016. "Making Money Work: Unconditional cash transfers allow women to save and re-invest in rural Zambia," Papers inwopa827, Innocenti Working Papers.
    4. Jensen, Nathaniel & Barrett, Christopher B. & Mude, Andrew, 2014. "Index Insurance and Cash Transfers: A Comparative Analysis from Northern Kenya," MPRA Paper 61372, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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