Present-day Niger was long-inhabited by the nomadic Tuareg of the Sahara and the agriculturalists of the south. The country became part of French West Africa in the 19th century, and it secured its independence in 1960. Niger maintained close ties with France, and the country was France’s favoured counter-terrorism security partner in the Sahel. However, protests against the French presence have occurred, including in the aftermath of the 2023 coup; in December 2023, French troops were expelled from the country.

The population of Niger is ethnically diverse and comprises the Hausa, Songhai, Tuareg, Fulani, and Kanuri groups. Niger has been celebrated for successfully addressing decades of unrest from (mainly Tuareg-led) armed groups by improving minority group representation in government. The country has done so by guaranteeing parliamentary representation to all ethnic groups and by decentralizing some administrative functions.

Nevertheless, Niger is vulnerable to terrorism from outside the country as a result of porous borders and internal terrorism due to a lack of economic opportunities. As a result, the jihadist groups operating in the Sahel have caused a major security and humanitarian crisis in Niger. Attacks have promoted local communities to form self-defence militia, which have also been accused of participating in inter-communal conflicts. Regional insecurity has also driven hundreds of thousands of refugees to Niger, mainly from Mali and Nigeria, further straining resources.

Insecurity has hampered Niger’s economic performance by disrupting education, markets, and basic services.  Extreme weather conditions have negatively impacted agricultural production and are estimated to cause a loss of up to 3 per cent of GDP growth, acting as a major development hurdle for Niger. Gender inequality is also a major concern, especially in relation to the persistent practice of slavery, which is said to be sustained by the high rates of poverty in the country. In addition, sex trafficking is widespread. High levels of child marriage and low access to reproductive healthcare have long been problems in Niger, but legal reforms since 2019 have sought to address these problems.

Going forward, much will depend on the transition to civilian rule in the aftermath of the 2023 coup. In addition to all factors of Representation, it will be important to watch Rights, especially in light of the history of severely curtailed human rights in an environment marked by violent extremism, as well as by the imposition of states of emergencies in several regions. Simultaneously, the extreme poverty levels that leave its population battling to meet their basic needs is a major concern. As a result of these factors, the Rights category and Social Group Equality should be watched moving forward. Security and poverty issues continue to constitute the main drivers of politics in the Sahelian state.

(Last updated August 2024)