I knew you were the one to call!!
Here's nother Niger connection, from another member of CIP... http://www.ciponline.org/biographies.htm
Paul Lubeck, senior fellow: Lubeck is a professor of political sociology, political economy and development studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He also serves as Director of the Global Information Internship program and the Center for Global, International, and Regional Studies at the University.
During Lubeck's service in the Peace Corps he served as a cooperative agent for the Ministry of Rural Development of the Niger Republic. He has conducted extensive research specializing in fieldwork in Muslim, in such regions as Niger, Nigeria, Ghana, Mexico, and Malaysia. He has a number of publishing's that cover such topics as globalization, industrializing states, African businessmen, labor, Islamic social movements and regional development strategies.