Niger

This Page was last updated on the 13th June, 2007.

 

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Current News

On 7th June, a new Prime Minister of Niger was sworn in before the national assembly. He is M. Seini Oumarou, formerly the Infrastructure Minister. He is a member of the ruling MNSD party. The month of May, 2007 had closed with the constitutional dissolution of the government of Niger. The National Assembly passed a vote of no confidence in the government by 62 votes in an Assembly of 113 members. M. Hama Amadou, Prime Minister since 2000, left office the day after the vote. The reputation of the government had faltered because of a scandal in which two government ministers allegedly embezzled over two million US dollars of the education budget. The Prime Minister had refused to testify on the matter before an enquiry into the scandal. IRIN reports that only 54% of the nation's one million children aged between seven and twelve years old go to school. For this reason the Catholic Church in Niger has always made a major contribution to the education sector, from a girls-only secondary school in Zinder and the prestigious Issa Bery School in Niamey, to literacy classes for adults and libraries elsewhere.

The fall of the government comes just after it agreed to a new investigation into slavery by the National Human Rights and Civil Liberties Commission. Anti-Slavery International and the local group Timidria have highlighted how many people are still engaged in unpaid work or as concubines in conditions of slavery.

Agenzia Fides, a missionary news service of the Catholic Church reports from Niamey: Good news for Africa's agriculture. This year Niger, affected by a serious food shortage (see Fides 21 September 2005), has a record harvest with a surplus of 457,237 tons. According to the local authorities the excellent result is due to abundant rainfall and scarcity of parasites such as locusts.
In 2005, with an surplus of 21,000 tons of cereal, about 2 million people in remote areas faced a serious food shortage because of drought and invasion of locusts.
The government, international humanitarian organisations and NGOs many of them Catholic, organised the distribution of food aid for 3 million people .
According to the food crisis prevention network this year west African countries and the Sahel region have had a good harvest of about 15 million tons of cereal.

Official Name

Republic of Niger (Republique du Niger)
Former Name Niger (humans inhabited area about 600,000 years ago; important economic and cultural crossroads, the Songhai, Mali, Gao, Kanem, and Bornu Empires, and some Hausa States, controled parts of area; Tuareg-Hausa clashed with Fulani Empire of Sokoto, which had control of much of Hausa territory in late 18th century; first European explorers [Mungo Park (British), Heinrich Barth (German)] in the 19th century; French began pacification in 1900; ethnic groups subdued and Niger became a French colony in 1922; part of French West African territories; French citizenship given to inhabitants of territories, decentralization of power and participation in political life for local advisory assemblies, in French constitution of 1946; further revision of overseas territories in Overseas Reform Act (Loi Cadre) of 23 July 1956; Niger became autonomous state within French Community on 4 December 1958; independence on 3 August 1960.)

Capital

Niamey

Main Towns

Arlit, Birini Nkonni, Maradi, Agadez, Niamey, Tahoua, Zinder

Subdivisions

7 regions: Agadez, Arlit, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder. 1 capital district: Niamey.

Independence

3 August 1960 (from France)

Constitution the constitution of December 26, 1992 was revised by national referendum on May 12, 1996 and again by referendum on July 18, 1999
National Holiday Republic Day, 18 December (1958)

UN Membership

20 September 1960

OAU Membership

25 May 1963 – now African Union (AU)

Commonwealth

n/a

Other Organisations

In alphabetical order according to abbreviation/acronym: Agency for the French-Speaking Community (ACCT), Africa-Caribbean-Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU), African Development Bank (AfDB or AFDB), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Council of the Entente (Entente), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Franc Zone (FZ), Group of 77 at the United Nations (G-77), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Criminal Court (ICCt), International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM), International Development Association (IDA), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS), International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO - subscriber), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), UN Civilian Police Mission in Haiti (MIPONUH), United Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), Non Aligned Movement (NAM), Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF), Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Union Economique et Monetaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Universal Postal Union (UPU), West African Development Bank (WADB), West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), World Confederation of Labour (WCL), World Customs Organization (WCO, former Customs Cooperation Council [CCC]), World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), World Tourism Organisation (WToO), World Trade Organisation (WTrO).

Population

World Bank Figures: 10,397,340 (1999), 10,742,000 (2000), 11,084,958 (2001), 11,425,341 (2002), 11,762,251 (2003)
Other Sources: 9,280,208 (July 1995), 10,355,156 (July 2001 est.), 11,058,590 (July 2003 est.) 11,665,937 (July 2005 est.)

Area

489,191 sq. mls. (1,267,000 sq. kms.)

Density

6 per sq.km. (1995)

Highest Point

Idoukal-en-Taghes 6,634 ft. (2,022 m.)

Lowest Point

Niger River 650 ft. (198 m.)

Neighbours

Algeria (NE), Benin (SW), Burkina Faso (W), Chad (E), Libya (NE), Mali (W)

Life Expectancy

47 years (1995), total population:  41.59 years. male:  41.74 years, female:  41.44 years (2001 est.)
total population: 42.21 years, male: 42.29 years, female: 42.12 years (2003 est.)
total population: 42.13 years male: 42.46 years female: 41.8 years (2005 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate total: 123.64 deaths/1,000 live births, female: 119.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.), male: 127.99 deaths/1,000 live births
total: 121.69 deaths/1,000 live births male: 125.93 deaths/1,000 live births female: 117.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS

adult prevalence rate: 4% (2001 est.) 1.2% (2003 est.)
people living with HIV/AIDS: 70,000 (2003 est.)
deaths: 6,000 (2001 est.) 4,800 (2003 est.)

IRIN Plus News - HIV/AIDS Treatment Map: Niger - Updated: Sept 2004
Population: 11.6 million
HIV Prevalence Rate (%) 2003 End: 1.2
No. Of People living with HIV/AIDS: 70,000
No. Of People in need of ART: 4,000
No. Of People Currently On ART (Sep 04): 200
No. Of People on ART Public Sector: Not Defined
No. Of People on ART in Non Govt Programmes: Not Defined
No. Of People Exptd to be on ART (2005 End): 1,200
Front Line Drug Regimen: Triomine+Ustavidine+Lamizidine+Nivirapine
HIV/AIDS Treatment Sites: 5
Global Fund 2 Year Approved Funding (Round 3: Approved 09-Aug-04): US$8,475,297.00
Total Funds Disbursed By The Global Fund: US$2,221,264.00
Total Funds Disbursed By The World Bank Multi-Country HIV/AIDS Programme (MAP): US$25 million
Total Funds Disbursed By PEPFAR: Nil
Source: USAID, WHO, Ministry of Health

Adult Literacy Rate

total population:  13.6%, male:  20.9%, female:  6.6% (1995 est.)
total population: 17.6%, male: 25.8%, female: 9.7% (2003 est.)

Ethnic Groups

Hausa 56%, Djerma 22%, Fulani 8.5%, Tuareg 8%, Beri Beri (Kanouri or Kanuri) 4.3%; Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche 1.2%, Zarma, 1,200 French expatriates

Languages

French (official), Hausa, Djerma

Religions

Islam 80%, Indigenous Beliefs, Christians

Type of Government

Republic

President

Mamadou Tandja (since 22 December 1999)

Prime Minister

Seini Oumarou since 7th June 2007. Was Hama Amadou (since 31 December 1999 - May 2007 ). The Prime Minister is appointed by the president.

Political Parties

Democratic Rally of the People-Jama'a (RDP-Jama'a); Democratic and Social Convention-Rahama (CDS-Rahama); National Movement for a Developing Society-Nassara (MNSD-Nassara); Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Social Progress-Zaman Lahiya (ANDPS-Zaman Lahiya); Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism-Tarayya (PNDS-Tarayya); Union of Democratic Patriots and Progressives-Chamoua (UPDP-Chamoua).

Ruling Party

National Movement for a Developing Society-Nassara (MNSD-Nassara)

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine (CFA, XOF) Franc (100 centimes)
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000)

GDP

US$284 (1992) US$1,860m (1995)
GDP: US$2.8 billion (2003) GDP: US$3,082 million (2004 est)
purchasing power parity - US$9.716 billion (2004 est.)
per capita purchasing power parity - US$900 (2004 est.)

GNP

US$290 (1992) US$200 (1994) US$220 (1995)

Per Capita Income Per capita GDP: US$232 (2003)
Population Below Poverty Line 63% (1993 est.)
Land Use arable land: 3.54% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 96.45% (2001) Irrigated land: 660 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural Resources uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum, gypsum, salt, petroleum
Oil and Natural Gas production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.) consumption: 5,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) exports: NA (2001) imports: NA (2001)
Military Niger Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN): Army, National Air Force (2005)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2003 est.)
males age 18-49: 2,135,680 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: US$20.54 million, 1.1% of GDP (FY02) US$33.3 million, 1.1% of GDP (2004)
Economic Aid Received US$341 million (1997)
Aid per Capita (World Bank): US$18 (1999), US$20 (2000), US$23 (2001), US$26 (2002), US$39 (2003)
The United States is a major donor, contributing on average $8 million each year to Niger’s development increasing to $12 million in FY 2004.

Debt

Moderately indebted (HIPC)
World Bank Figures: US$1,041,000,000 (2000), US$1,025,000,000 (2001), US$509,000,000 (2002), US$578,099,968 (2003)
Other Sources: US$1,633m (1995) US$1.3 bn (1999 est.) US$1.6 billion (1999 est.)
IMF approved a US$73 million poverty reduction and growth facility in 2000 and US$115 million in debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.

Major Imports

foodstuffs, machinery, vehicles and parts, petroleum, cereals
consumer goods, petroleum, foodstuffs, and industrial products (2002 est.)

Imports from

France 18.6%, US 16.4%, Cote d'Ivoire 9.3%, Germany 9.3%, Nigeria (2001)
France 17%, Côte d’Ivoire 15%, China 10%, Nigeria 7%. (2002 est.) US$502 million f.o.b. (2002 est.) US$400 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
France 17.4%, Cote d'Ivoire 11.3%, Italy 8.4%, Nigeria 7.3%, Germany 6.5%, US 5.5%, China 4.8% (2004)

Major Exports

uranium, livestock, cowpeas, and onions (2002 est.)

Exports to

France 33.5%, Nigeria 30.5%, South Korea 18.7%, US 5.4%, Spain (2001)
France 39%, Nigeria 31%, Japan 16%, Côte d’Ivoire 9% (2002 est.) US$387 million f.o.b (2002 est.) US$280 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
France 47.1%, Nigeria 22.7%, Japan 8.6%, US 5.4% (2004)

We try to have each fact sheet up to date and as accurate as possible.
If you notice any mistakes, or have suggestions on items which could be added, please let us know by emailing to: suttonlink@dial.pipex.com

The White Fathers, Sutton Coldfield, 14 June, 2007

Page 37 of 61

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