China has given Niger a grant of 50 million US dollars to reinforce the water production capacity in the southern town of Zinder.

The signing ceremony for the cooperation took place on Wednesday in Niamey between China's ambassador to Niger Shi Hu and Niger's Community Development Minister Amadou Boubacar Cisse.

Shi said the completion of the project will enable Zinder to end the perennial problem of lack of water, which has plagued the town for 80 years.

"To ensure that the Nigerien people benefit from the Sino- Nigerien cooperation, the Chinese government has decided to offer this aid which will not be repaid by the Nigerien government," the Chinese ambassador said.

China provided initial support in 2005 for building a water supply system in Zinder, before expanding the aid to the project to end the problem.

The completion of the project is also expected to contribute to the faster economic growth of Zinder.

Minister Cisse on behalf of the Nigerien government thanked China for its continuous support to the land-locked African country.

The grant is a result of funding negotiations between Niger and China Export-import Bank and comes after a meeting held in Paris on support for Niger's Social and Economic Development Plan, in which China played an active role.