Investigating the Market Potential of Eco-Friendly Coal Briquettes in the Region of Tahoua, Niger
Issoufou Oumarou

Abstract
Since the drought of the 1970s, there is a continuous degradation of vegetal resources in Niger due to several reasons according to the environmental checking (INS, 2002). The authorities of Niger have taken to heart the issues of reforestation and deforestation. Several measures and initiatives have been taken in order to provide solutions to these issues. Given the nonexistence of credible alternatives to the use of wood as domestic energy, the measures and initiatives taken by the authorities have not produced the expected results. Through the discovery of a coal reserve in Salkadamna in the region of Tahoua (INS, 2011), an alternative to wood as domestic energy seems to be found by the Government. With the discovery of oil reserves in the extreme east of the country and with the beginning of the production at the end of 2012, natural gas became the second alternative to wood as domestic energy. In its efforts to fight deforestations the Government had taken measures and initiatives to encourage the use of natural gas as domestic energy (Hama B. , 2015). According to the Demographic and health surveys of Niger (INS, 2017), in the region of Tahoua, wood is the main source of domestic energy, it is consumed by more 97% of households. Out of this fact the government of Niger encourages the development and the use of other sources of energy. It’s in this context that this study is being conducted in order to present eco-friendly coal briquettes as an alternative to wood and charcoal. The general objectives of this study are to identify potential buyers among users of wood, to determine potential demand and to develop commercialization strategies for eco-friendly coal briquettes in the city of Tahoua. To reach the above mentioned objectives, a survey is conducted among grilled meat sellers, fried food sellers and household consumers that are currently using wood charcoal or wood. In order to identify the price at which the respondents find the eco-friendly coal briquettes cheap, expensive, unaffordable, a price point analysis was used. The study then used product attributes ranking to determine which among the attributes of market available coal briquettes and wood were of greater importance to the respondents. Product usage, product attitude and image were also used in the study to analyze the data gathered through the use of market and customer behavior survey. Finally a home placement test was administered among grilled meat sellers, fried food sellers and charcoal-using households in the city of Tahoua, Niger.

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