Political Overview
Niger is officially a semi-presidential republic under the Constitution of October 31, 2010, in which executive power is shared between a president elected by absolute majority for a five-year term, renewable once and a prime minister appointed by the president, while legislative authority resides in a unicameral National Assembly of 171 members serving five-year terms. Despite this framework, political stability has been fragile: following democratic elections in 2016 and a peaceful transfer of power in 2021, a military coup on July 26, 2023, overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum and suspended the constitution, installing General Abdourahmane Tiani as head of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP). The junta has since banned political parties, dissolved democratic institutions, and entered into a three-year transition charter amid regional tensions with ECOWAS, while continuing to justify its rule by citing the fight against jihadist insurgencies in the Sahel.
Cultural Heritage and Identity
Nigerien culture is characterized by the rich tapestry of over a dozen ethnic groups including the Hausa, Zarma-Songhai, Tuareg, Fulani, and Kanuri each contributing distinct languages, artisanal crafts, music, and social customs to the national identity. Intangible heritage elements inscribed by UNESCO include the “Practices and expressions of joking relationships” among diverse Nigerien communities (2014) and the “Practices and knowledge linked to the Imzad” among Tuareg women (2013), reflecting deep traditions of social cohesion and musical expression. Traditional festivals such as the Wodaabe Gerewol ceremony near Agadez, a colorful courtship dance competition and the Bianou agricultural celebrations underscore the enduring importance of seasonal rhythms, nomadic lifeways, and communal solidarity in shaping Niger’s collective memory.
Geographical Landscape, Area and Climate
Covering approximately 1,267,000 km², Niger is the largest country in West Africa and ranks seventh in Africa by area, stretching 750 miles north-south and 930 miles east-west across the southern fringes of the Sahara and the Sahelian belt. The northern two-thirds lie within the hyper-arid Sahara Desert, featuring the Aïr Massif’s rocky “islands” (with Mount Gréboun reaching 1,944 m) and the vast dune seas of the Ténéré, while the south is dominated by Sahelian plains and the floodplains of the Niger River basin. Climate is marked by two distinct seasons: an eight-month dry season and a brief June–September rainy season with annual precipitation ranging from less than 100 mm in the north to about 800 mm in the far south, making agriculture and water access a perennial challenge in a landscape prone to drought and desertification.
