Niamey (French pronunciation:[njamɛ]) is the capital and largest city ofNiger. It is in the western part of the country, surrounded by theTillabéri Region. Niamey lies on theNiger River, primarily situated on the river's left bank (east side). The capital of Niger since thecolonial era, Niamey is an ethnically diverse city and the country's main economic centre.
Before the French developed it as a colonial centre, Niamey was the site of villages inhabited byFula,Zarma,Maouri, andSonghai people. French expeditions first visited the location in the 1890s before CaptainHenri Salaman [de] established a military post in 1901. Niamey replacedZinder as the territorial capital from 1903 to 1911 and again in 1926, after which large-scale development occurred. The first city plan in 1930 relocated neighbourhoods and enactedsegregation of European and indigenous neighbourhoods, which remained separate until the 1950s. Niamey held Niger's first municipal elections in 1956, electingDjibo Bakary as the first mayor. In the decade followingindependence in 1960, urban planning introduced infrastructure such as theKennedy Bridge, which connected the city to the right bank. In the 1970s and 1980s, Niamey's growth was fuelled by a boom inthe national uranium industry and by droughts that brought rural migrants. Protests in Niamey contributed to the democratisation of Niger in the 1990s. This era saw anIslamic revival.
Niamey has a dense city centre and includes some villages in the periphery. Due to rapid population growth, the city has manyinformal settlements, allocated semi-legally from chiefs of traditional governments, which are often excluded from public utilities. The city's economy is dominated by commerce, largely in theinformal economy. The city also has extensiveurban agriculture. Alongside theZarma people, Niamey has a largeHausa population, who oftenseasonally migrate from rural Niger. Both groups' languages are used aslingua francas. Most of the population follows Islam—including theTariqa movement ofSufism and the newerIzala movement ofSalafism—with a Christian minority. Niamey is one of thehottest major cities in the world. It is prone to droughts and floods. The Niger River is the city's only permanent river and the sole source of itsmunicipal water supply.
The villages ofGoudel [fr] andGamkalé [de] were founded on the left bank (east side) of theNiger River in the sixteenth century. The site that would become Niamey was situated between these villages, around thegully ofGounti Yéna [de]. Various other villages sprouted here around the early nineteenth century; the Hausa village ofMaourey [de], the Zarma village ofKalley [de], and the Songhai village ofGaweye [de] were on the left bank, while the Fula villages ofLamordé [de],Nogaré [de], andKirkissoye [de] were on the right bank.[8]
Oral histories differ on the chronology of Niamey's early settlement and the etymology of its name. The Maouri believe that the city's Maouri founders were driven away from the nearby river island ofNéni Goungou [de] by the Fula villagers ofBitinkodji; they say the city was built next to a landmark tree calledGna[note 1] and was thus named "place of the Gna", orGna-mé. The Zarma believe that the founder, aKallé Zarma chief from theZarmaganda region named Kouri Mali, acquired land betweenYantala [de] andGamkalé Sebangayé [de]; they say the city's name is derived from his exclamation of "wa gnam ne", meaning "clear out here" or "settle here". The Songhai believe that the founders were two fishermen fromGao, who were gifted the river island of Yama Gungu by the local Fula herders before settling on the left bank.[8][9]
1903 French map showing Niamey and nearby settlements
By the time of theScramble for Africa, when France laid claim toNiger, western Niger had been weakened by local conflicts and had no major political powers.[10] This facilitated the French invasion of Niger, which began in 1891. The first European mentions of Niamey were by the 1897 mission ofÉmile Auguste Léon Hourst [fr],[11] then the 1899Voulet–Chanoine Mission, which set fire to Niamey.[12] A local account mentioned earlier contact with Europeans, identified as the expedition ofGeorges Joseph Toutée [fr].[13]
The first French post in Niamey was established in 1901 byHenri Salaman [de], a captain overseeing the Niger–Chad road.[14] The administration chose the location—above a river bend—to provide a port betweenZinder andTimbuktu and to facilitate securing control over the inland part of the territory.[15] Salaman was the first to refer to the whole cluster of villages as Niamey.[16] Niamey's residents viewed him as a bringer of peace and development, and the city became known in Hausa as "garin captin Salma", meaning "Captain Salaman's city". French settlement of Niamey began on an empty plateau on the left bank (the modern-dayquartier ofTerminus [de]). Salaman's administration led construction in this area and drew in migrants through incentives, which included suspending taxation and forced labour for residents.[14]
Niamey replaced Zinder as the capital of Niger in 1903, after a Tuareg revolt had weakened the eastern part of the territory.[17] The French government incorporated several former chiefdoms into the Canton of Niamey. The first chief, a commoner named Bagniou, was unpopular as he had been a guide for the Voulet–Chanoine Mission, and the chiefdom ofKarma protested losing autonomy to the new canton; it was replaced by the Canton of Karma in 1908.[18] Niamey had about 1,800 inhabitants in 1904, when it became the capital of theThird Military Territory of Niger.[14] The firstcity limits were then drawn.[19] Niamey was not yet a focus of development as the capital's location was intended to be temporary, and officials debated whether the capital should be Niamey or Zinder.[14] The capital moved back to Zinder in 1911, after violence in the eastern region had subsided[20] and reorganisation had drawn Niamey further away from the center of the territory.[19] From that year, Niamey's population began to decline from a peak of 3,000.[14]
Niamey in December 1930. The large house in the centre is the French governor's residence. Air photo taken by Swiss pilot and photographerWalter Mittelholzer.
TheColony of Niger was founded in 1922.[14] Zinder's proximity to the Nigerian border and its distance from French-controlled ports prompted the French to move the capital back to Niamey. Although Niamey was isolated from most of the colony, it was nearFrench Dahomey. The official reason for the move was that Zinder had insufficient potable water. Other reasons included the resistance of Zinder's unified Hausa population to French rule, Niamey's more comfortable climate, and its river location, which officials believed was the only place suitable for agriculture.[21] The governor of Niger,Jules Brévié, made Niamey the capital on 28 December 1926,[22] by which time the city had 3,142 inhabitants.[23] Construction of the new capital—including the governor's palace—began the year prior, mostly using forced labour.[24]
In the decades following Niamey's establishment as the capital, the government developed agriculture and trade routes in western Niger, largely ignoring the rest of the territory.[25] The government planned to extendDahomey's rail network to linkParakou to Niamey, but this project was not completed.[26] As capital, Niamey also became the center for the educated class of mostly Songhai and Zarma people, with the first regional school opening in 1930.[27] Niamey's first city plan in 1930 designated an indigenous quarter near the river and a European quarter further inland, separated by a park used as azone sanitaire (isolation zone).[28] Government construction, including the completion of the governor's palace, took place in late 1930 and early 1931 using forced labour.[29]
Before the 1930s, most migrants to Niamey were from western Niger.[30] Low rainfall in 1930 causeda famine that broughtinternally displaced people to Niamey starting in May 1931.[31] These migrants increased the city's population tenfold, but most left after the famine ended. Those who remained establishedinformal settlements with mostlythatched mud buildings on the edge of the indigenous quarter. The growth led colonial administrators to increase policing of hygiene.[32] Urban planning in the 1930s introduced health initiatives that involved the relocation of existing neighbourhoods, except for Gaweye, to the plateau. Most residents wished to stay on the river bank, but, after a 1935 fire destroyed many straw buildings, they were forcibly moved tomudbrick houses, resulting in multiethnic neighbourhoods. An urban plan implemented in 1937 divided Niamey into the European city, the indigenous city, and a commercial and industrial zone by the river.[33]
Most of the urban plan was cancelled during theSecond World War, when colonial officials left for the war and the administration prioritised commercial farming over infrastructure.[34] As the city's population increased—from 5,000 in 1941 to 7,500 in 1945—the remaining colonial administrators were unable to enforce property ownership laws, resulting in many people acquiring land from indigenous chiefs.[35] In the 1940s, the administration used taxation and forced labour to disincentivise immigration to the city. This labour was used for public works such as a central hospital and maternity ward. Forced labour was permitted under theindigénat until its abolishment in 1946, after which rural immigration increased.[36] The same year, Niger gained autonomy as anoverseas territory, leading to the formation of political parties in Niamey. The French government reorganised Niamey in response to political unrest, and Gamkalé and Yantala were incorporated into the city.[37]
A new urban plan in 1952, thePlan Herbé (lit.'Grassy Plan'), divided the city into several zones. The indigenous side included densecity blocks, while the European side was more open and green. This plan also formalised a marketplace ofland plots, replacingtraditional ownership.[38] Niamey was the first settlement in Niger to become an urban centre, doubling in size between 1945 and 1955 to about 15,000 people.[39] ThePlan Herbé became outdated amid rapid urban growth and a wave of migrants from a 1954 famine.[38] The city grew inward into thezone sanitaire, eliminating the distinction between the European and indigenous cities by 1955.[40]
Niamey was named as acommune mixte [fr], with a partially elected council, on 14 February 1954. It was upgraded to Niger's onlycommune de plein exercice [fr] on 18 December 1955, leading to municipal elections on 18 November 1956, the first in the country.[41] The newly formedMouvement Socialiste Africain coalition (later renamedSawaba) won a majority in these elections.Djibo Bakary—the leader of a popular trade union in Niamey—thus became the first mayor.Boubou Hama was his deputy mayor.[42] As mayor, Bakary campaigned in support of immediate independence inthe 1958 referendum[38] and unsuccessfully ran for Niamey's seat in the1958 Nigerien Territorial Assembly election.[43]
By 1960, the year of Niger's independence, Niamey's population had grown to 33,816.[44] A new city plan was drafted in 1961 by the French firmKalt, Pourdaier-Duteil, and Raymond [de], whichzoned the former indigenous quarter for a higher density than the former European quarter.[45] Niamey received the country's only asphalt highway, spanning a few kilometres betweenDiori Hamani International Airport and thePresidential Palace—the former governor's palace.[46] The French military base in the city was transferred to theNiger Armed Forces in 1961, becoming the1re Compagnie de commandement, d'appui et de service (1re CCAS;transl. 1st Company of Command, Support, and Service),[47] but Niamey's gendarmerie unit remained under French control.[48] The1re CCAS led a rebellion against the French units in the city on 3 December 1963.[49]
Public-sector employees in Niamey comprised a large part of Niger's workforce in the mid-1960s,[50] and the proportion grew to 14% by 1980.[44] The government ofHamani Diori aimed to increase the country's industrial activities; Niamey received a textile production facility and a refrigeratedslaughterhouse.[51] Niamey'sgroundnut industry rapidly grew around this time, which contributed to increasing the capital's population to 108,000 in 1972.[52] Diori's government established a party militia in 1964, stationing personnel in each of the city's seventeen quartiers.[53] An urban plan in the 1960s[note 2] introduced developments including agreenbelt.[54] The plan ended the distinction between European and indigenous neighbourhoods, aiming to lower the disparity within the city's population density. Despite this, housing insecurity increased, and theinformal settlement ofTalladjé [de] was created in 1966.[52] Diori led the inaugural summit of theOrganisation de la Francophonie in 1969 in Niamey,[55] giving the city unprecedented media coverage, after which Diori launched a rebranding campaign for the city, which included naming of streets.[56] TheKennedy Bridge opened in 1970 and connected the left bank of Niamey to the much less populated right bank, which then began to urbanise.[52]
A national uranium boom in the 1970s and 1980s improved the economy of Niamey. The city's public spending was then invested in modern buildings, resulting in an era of opulent architecture in a revival of theSudanese style.[57] The economic situation caused ababy boom. Meanwhile, a drought in 1972–73 brought a wave of migrants that led to rapid urban sprawl, and Malian immigrants settled in the outer parts of the city.[58] As a result, the population of Niamey grew from 108,000 to 398,365 inhabitants, and the city limits expanded from 1,367 ha (3,380 acres) in 1970 to 4,400 ha (11,000 acres) by 1977, annexing peripheral villages.[59]
After the military government ofSeyni Kountché took power in the1974 coup, there were strict controls on residency and the government would regularly round up and deport those without permits back to their villages.[60] The government established a dailycurfew and placed 10,000 political agents in the city, which had a population of 400,000.[61] A second drought occurred in 1983–84, bringing about 150,000 migrants to Niamey.[62] Kountché's government responded to the ensuinghousing crisis with eviction and resettlement to new districts includingLazaret andMadina [de], but the crisis continued.[63] Kountché's government also constructed water sources in the city's periphery[64] and led the construction of theGrand Mosque of Niamey, funded by the Libyan government.[65] In 1984, theSchéma Directeur d'Aménagement et d'Urbanisme (transl. Master Plan for Urban Planning and Development) divided Niamey into five districts, subordinate to thePrefect Mayor, to manage the large population. These were reorganised into the Niamey Urban Community (Communauté Urbaine de Niamey, CUN), with three municipalities, in 1989. In the 1990s, with further reorganisation and decentralisation, the city's growth rate slightly declined.[63]
View from the left bank overlooking theKennedy Bridge in 1990
In the 1990Kennedy Bridge massacre, soldiers killed three student protestors. This event propelled protests and political participation in support of democracy.[66] That November, 100,000 people in Niamey participated in ageneral strike against presidentAli Saibou, after which he agreed to establish a democratic council.[67] In 1993, the yearMahamane Ousmane became the first democratically elected president, Niamey had high rates of poverty and unemployment as public-sector jobs decreased.[68] Niger's democratisation effected an upsurge in the popularity of private radio[69] and in Islamic discourse.[70] Islamic groups based in Niamey, includingIzala Society supporters, played major roles in protests against the Ousmane government's proposedfamily law in 1994 and against the city's hosting of theInternational Festival of African Fashion [fr] in 2000.[71]A coup d'état organised in Niamey in February 1996 installedIbrahim Baré Maïnassara as president.[72] Baré was unpopular in Niamey as public-sector employment decreased and state-run urban services declined.[73] On 9 April 1999, Baré was ambushed, shot, and killed at Niamey's airport duringa coup d'état.[74]
The CUN was reorganised in 1996 amid a wide reorganisation of the country's municipalities. The CUN became a first-levelregion of Niger and was divided into five municipalities. The plan allowed the region to shrink to centralise the area managed, but a 2002 plan instead allowed each municipality to expand within a perimeter to benefit from urban growth. This plan redrew municipalities' boundaries based on pre-colonial settlements, with consulting from traditional chiefs.[75] Administrative decentralisation in 2004 gave these municipalities control overzoning, leading to a dispute with the CUN. Residents of the village ofSaga [de] disagreed with being incorporated into the CUN.[76] In 2011, the municipalities were reorganised as municipal districts, undoing the decentralisation.[75]
Place du Liptako-Gourma in 2018
Urban development projects in the 2010s involved theexpropriation and destruction of neighbourhoods. These projects included presidentMahamadou Issoufou'sNiamey Nyala initiative, launched in 2011, and preparation for the city's hosting of anAfrican Union summit in 2019.[77] In 2013, American and French military bases were established at adjacent parts of Diori Hamani International Airport.[78] Niamey was the site of protests againstthe 2021 presidential election and president-electMohamed Bazoum; most Niameyans believed he had stolen the election as the city had overwhelmingly voted for Ousmane. Air force units in the city leda failed coup against Bazoum before his inauguration.[79] In July 2023, theNiger junta began renaming street names from the colonial era to more local names, such as replacing the name ofCharles de Gaulle with that of Bakary.[80][81] In April 2024, the junta's leader,Abdourahamane Tchiani, declared the dissolution of local governments, replacing the mayor of Niamey, Oumarou Dogari, with an army official.[2] The same month, hundreds rallied in Niamey to demand the withdrawal of the US military from the country.[82] The US withdrew its troops from Niamey in July 2024.[83]
Niamey is in the western part of Niger,[84] surrounded by theTillabéri Region.[85] Located between the longitudes2°03' E and2°15' E and the latitudes13°35' N and13°24' N, it covers an area of 552.27 km2 (213.23 sq mi), of which 297.46 km2 (114.85 sq mi) is urban, as of 2022[update].[84] It is located on theNiger River, mostly on theplateau of the left bank (east side), with a few developments on thealluvial plain of the right bank.[86] The city'sheight above sea level mostly ranges from 190 m to 230 m on the left bank and from 180 m to 185 m on the right bank; the highest point,Trois Sœurs [de], reaches 250 m.[87]
The Niger is Niamey's only permanent river.Koris (wadis) form temporarily, mostly on the left bank, and have become more common since the 1970s due to human activity.[88] The river is fed bykoris in theInner Niger Delta, with the flow in the city mainly coming from threekoris on the right bank:Gorouol [de],Dargol [de], andSirba.[89] The plateau of Niamey pushes the river's flow to be straight.[90] Niamey is downriver from theSélingué Dam in Mali, which has regulated the river's water level and prevented the city from losing water during droughts.[91] A series of sandy islands lies from Niamey upstream toKarma; the largest areBoubon,Kanazi [de], andNéni Goungou [de].[92] Askoris formalluvial fans, the river is prone to flooding. Erosion and sedimentary deposits cause highsiltation of the river, preventing it from flowing during periods of dryness, which threatens agriculture in Niamey.[93]
Niamey is between the geological regions ofLiptako on the west and theIullemmeden Basin on the east.[94] It sits atop plateaus of sand andlaterite,[95] which are extracted by the city'squarries.[96] The city centre is built onbedrock formed by theWest African Craton on the east bank, while the porous sediment of the Iullemmeden lies on both banks.[97]
Niamey's vegetation consists oftiger bush shrubland on the plateau andmillet fields andsavanna in the valleys.[98] Some trees are planted by government projects; agreenbelt was created in the 1960s, and areas in the city centre were planted in the mid-1970s by the Kountché administration.[99] The greenbelt covers 2,500 ha (6,200 acres) of the peri-urban area, though most of its original space is no longer forested, and nine othergreen spaces each cover 42 ha (100 acres).[100] Most trees in the city are maintained by residents, who use them for shade (which provides space for outdoor events) and for fruit.[101] Common trees planted by residents includeneem,mango, andétagère.[102] Most of the city's tree coverage is ofintroduced species; some were introduced during the colonial era, and others, including neem, were planted for the greenbelt.[103] The predominant natural trees areCombretaceae, including the speciesAcacia albida, which is maintained for soil regeneration.[104]Urban gardens take up 54 ha (130 acres), as of 2007[update].[105] The city'swoodland andshrubland coverage decreased from 35% in 1968 to 7% in 2009, despite a stagnant area of agricultural land.[106]
The density of Niamey decreases with distance from the built-up city centre,[107] with some rural settlements within and surrounding the locality.[85] The Niamey Urban Community incorporates several surrounding towns and villages that have been annexed.[108] Niamey'sgrid plan includes wide boulevards linkingroundabouts,[109] alongside dirt roads in residential areas.[110]
Houses in Niamey have building materials associated with their inhabitants'social strata, ranging from huts to European-stylevillas.[111] Most houses are fenced.[110]Mudbrick is popular as an inexpensive, local construction method,[112] having replaced lighter materials as the colonial city was established.[113] In the post-independence era, more expensive, imported materials such as cement andreinforced concrete became more popular. Urban planning authorities favour cement over mudbrick, which is associated with poverty.[114] The vast majority of the population in the 2000s lived in mudbrick buildings.[115] Many neighbourhoods, both formal andinformal, have dense populations who rentmultifamily compounds made of mudbrick with shared courtyards. Most of these compounds are not connected to the electricity grid or running water.[111]
Municipally allocatedland lots typically measure 300 to 400 square metres.[116] Much of Niamey's urban expansion involves informal neighbourhoods, orquartier non-loti,[note 3] which are constructed by their residents without administrative approval and are allocated andzoned by traditional chiefs (See§ Governance and politics).[118] This kind of settlement became popular during the 1970s housing crisis and proliferated during the 1990s economic decline.[119] Government zoning and public housing projects often focus on middle-class residents, motivating lower-class residents to live in informal settlements.[120] Though Niger recognises traditional ownership, the parallel land market violates the city code, so these neighbourhoods have ambiguous government approval. The government variably rebuilds such neighbourhoods or destroys them for new development.[121]
Niamey is a polycentric city.[122] The city centre has poor, dense neighbourhoods that have existed since the 1930s and 1940s.[123] Some were replaced bybusiness districts with multi-story buildings in the 2010s.[115] Such developments have caused poor residents of the area to sell their homes or be pressured to leave bygentrification projects.[124] The northernmost part of Niamey contains the poor neighbourhood ofKoira Tégui [de], which was relocated from the city centre in 1989.[125] The city's eastern periphery is centered around the industrial zone, military barracks, commercial establishments, andDiori Hamani International Airport.[126] On the opposite side of the industrial zone is the village ofSaga [de], 5 km from downtown Niamey, which has become aperi-urban area due to nearby developments.[127] The city's largest informal neighbourhood,Pays Bas [de], is built on aravine near the airport,[128] allocated by Saga's chief;[129] informal settlements expand eastward to the neighbourhood ofTondigamay [de], built on existing roads.[128] In the west of the city,Commune I is the wealthiest part of Niamey, with many foreign embassy workers.[130]The right bank of Niamey contains traditional Fula villages, as well as neighbourhoods that arose after the construction ofKennedy Bridge (such asKaradjé [de] andBanga Bana [de]) and relocated neighbourhoods such asGaweye [de]. The right bank also contains higher education institutions includingAbdou Moumouni University.[52]
With monthly highs ranging from 32 °C in January to 41 °C in April,[132] Niamey is one of the hottest parts of Niger[85] and of the Sahel,[133] and it is one ofthe world's hottest major cities.[134] With an expected rainfall of 500 to 750 mm in a year,[85] it is drier than areas further west in West Africa.[135] Rainfall mostly begins with a few storms in May, then transitions to arainy season from early June to early September, and there is practically no rain from October to April.[135] Thedry season is divided into a cool dry season from November to February and a hot dry season from March to May.[136]
Niamey has a pattern of two floods. The first, termed the "local flood" or "red flood",[note 4] flows from the Inner Niger Delta, usually from August to October. A smaller flood, called the "Guinean flood", is caused by rainfall that flows from Guinea'sFouta Djallon region, usually from January to March.[137] The region around Niamey has seen increases insurface water levels following decreases in rainfall—a phenomenon known as the Niamey paradox—which has caused decreased durations of the two floods.[138] The river's flow has increased since the 1970s, which led to the distinguishment of the two floods, with the red flood shifting ahead by 40 days.[139] The two-flood cycle causes significant flooding events, exacerbated by inadequatedrainage systems, and damage is intensified when the floods overlap.[140] In the 2000s and 2010s, the red flood increased in strength due to increasedrunoff, causing extreme floods in 2010, 2012, and 2013.[141][note 5] Rainfall across the city is uneven.[143] The city is affected by droughts, especially the northern, central, and southwestern parts.[144] The driest years on record are 1972, 1982, and 1984.[145]
Leading up to the rainy season, Niamey is dry with lowcloud cover, leading to significantdiurnal temperature variation. In June, the temperature rises quickly in the morning and slows down by the afternoon; in August, there is a slower temperature rise in the morning and a slight decrease in the afternoon.[146] Temperatures in the hot dry season regularly exceed 40 °C and may come near the unsafe threshold of 45 °C.[147] In the cool dry season, average nighttime lows range from 14 to 18 °C.[85]Climate change led to a 1.4-degree increase in annual minimum temperatures between 1965 and 2013.[145] Winds of theAfrican easterly jet (AEJ) contribute to theconvective boundary layer in Niamey, whose depth is about 1,000 to 2,000 m (with a pressure of 850 hPa) during the rainy season and 2,000 to 3,000 m (750 hPa) leading up to the rainy season.[148]Air masses caused by small-scale burning in Niamey have been observed.[149] Land clearing in the area has led toerosion, formingkoris andalluvial cones.[150] The city's heat leads to a high risk ofmalaria near water pools, whiledust storms contribute tomeningitis.[151]
Climate data for Niamey Airport (1991–2020, extremes 1961–present)
In 2022, Niamey had an estimated population of 1,407,635 (700,722 males and 706,913 females) and a population density of 2,549 per square kilometre.[155] Niamey has a highpopulation growth rate, correlated with the national rate, which isone of the highest in the world.[156]Oxford Economics estimated that Niamey was the world's fastest growing city in 2015, predicting a growth rate of 5.2% each year until 2030.[157] Niamey's population is largely young; itsage distribution has a median of 14 years and a third quartile of 24 years, as of 2013[update].[158]
Most people in Niamey work in theinformal economy.[107] The city has highwealth disparity, and neighbourhoods have strong class divisions.[159] Theaverage income is about 500CFA francs(1 US dollar) per day, as of 2019[update].[160] Theliving wage is about 100 US dollars per month, as of 2016[update].[161] Since the 1990s, the city'scost of living has increased while employment has decreased.[162] The number of government jobs has decreased amidneoliberal economic programs.[163] People without formal education have few job opportunities.[164] Job market saturation has made it difficult for young migrants to find employment.[165]
Most residents of Niamey rent their homes and frequently move within the urban area based on finances. Some seasonal residents arrange to keep a property within a group ofroommates.[166] About 20% of households in the city have a woman as thehead of household.[167] The city has manynuclear households, but preference for a largefamily size is widespread,[168] with an average of 4.2 children per woman in 2021[update].[169] Expectations of marriage limit the social status of many young men in Niamey who cannot afford to marry.[170]
Informal settlements andsquatting are common throughout the city. It does not have extensiveslums, although the United Nations definition of slums includes 80% of the city.[171] The city centre has visible groups ofbeggars, particularly within the more trafficked neighbourhoods. Beggars have formed a well-regulated hierarchical system in which they garner money according to cultural perceptions that view groups such as disabled people as being worthy of begging.[172]
Niamey is a cosmopolitan, highly ethnically integrated city with residents from everyethnic group of Niger and others from across West Africa.[173] According to anthropologist Scott M. Youngstedt,Hausa people have comprised over half of the city's population since about 1980, having increased from 12% in 1960. Despite this, the Hausa largely identify as a diaspora community within aZarma city,[174] which lies about 150 kilometres west ofHausaland.[175] Members of theBella caste ofTuareg people have assimilated into the Zarma and Songhai cultures in the area since coming to Saga from the village ofSona Bella in the late 19th century.[176]
TheHausa andZarma languages are Niamey'slingua francas.[177] An overwhelming majority of the city speaks Hausa,[174] including international immigrants.[178] The variety of Hausa used in the city is influenced by Zarma grammar.[179]Code switching between Hausa, Zarma, and French is common.[180] Other languages used includeFula andTamasheq.[181]
Since Niamey's establishment as a city, the vast majority of its population has been migrants and their children. This is due to its political status as well as the effects of droughts and famines.[30] The city's population increases by 200,000 or 300,000 during the dry season due tocircular migration from rural Niger.[182] During the dry season, many Hausa residents work in the city'sinformal economy.[183] For rural Nigerien Hausas, Niamey is the most popular place to migrate due to its ease of travel.[184] Many Hausa migrants stay in Niamey for a few years. Most do not consider it their home, but youths in the 21st century often feel stronger connections to the city. Those who stay in the city permanently are seen within the community as "left behind".[185] Many such people prefer Niamey for itsstandard of living and lack of violence, despite difficulties with employment and affordability. Others cannot afford to return home.[186]
Many Niamey residents desire to move out of the country, and social groups are formed with this goal. These groups often fund emigrations to receiveremittances in return. It is common for international emigrants to return to the city after long periods.[187] Hausa migrants to Niamey often emigrate internationally, comprising a large part of the internationalHausa diaspora.[183] Hausa migrants within Niger are composed about equally of men and women, but, as men emigrate internationally, women typically stay in Niamey, often with their in-laws.[188] Some Niameyans are educated in Western cities such as Paris, Hamburg, New York City, andGreensboro, the latter being nicknamed Little Niamey.[189]
The foreign-born population of Niger is mostly centered in Niamey and Tillabéri.[190] NigerianYoruba businesspeople come to Niamey because it has less competition than other cities in Niger. Yoruba people first came to Niamey in the 1950s, immigrating fromShaki andIgboho. They comprised 2.4% of the city in 1961[note 6] before large-scale immigration began in the 1970s.[191] Niamey has had waves of Tuareg refugees from northern Mali since the 1960s, caused by war or drought. The city has about 4,000 such people, as of 2022[update], and they formed an advocacy group in 2012. Many upper-caste Tuaregs experience lower social status in Niamey than in Mali.[192] Many Tuareg migrants work as brickmakers or water vendors (see§ Water).[193] Niamey has Niger's largest Chinese population, composed of mostly short-term residents.[194] The city's first Chinese women came in the 1980s with their Nigerien husbands, who they met at universities inGuangzhou.[195] Some Chinese women are employed by the public sector or by Chinese corporations; they come from cities or provinces that have relations with Niger.[196] Others, largely from southern China, establish businesses.[197]
AnIslamic revival in West Africa began in the 1990s,[198] turning Niamey into a centre of religious activism.[199] This occurred during the era of democratisation and the breakdown of formal education in Niger, and the city saw an increase inpolitical Islam and support forIslamic education centres, known locally asmakaranta.[200] In subsequent decades, the city saw an increase inhijab use, mosque constructions, public sermons, and Arabic language students.[201] In neighbourhoods such asBoukoki [fr], the Islamic revival has increased the popularity oftraditionalist gender roles that require women to stay at home, which are promoted by most Islamic educators in the city.[202]
Sufism is popular in Niamey, and mostmakarantu are affiliated with the movement.[203]Izala, aSalafi movement opposed to Sufism, is much smaller than theTariqa Sufi movement in Niamey, but theological debates between the two are frequent.[204] Izala gained traction in Niamey in the early 1990s and was present across the city by the 2000s.[205] The movement established educational institutions,[203] and its preachers became celebrities.[199] Many congregations in the city became more conservative as they shifted from Sufism from Izala.[206]Shiism came to Niamey later and became the target ofanti-Shiism by Izala supporters.[207] A reformist Izala faction known as Sunnance is centered on teaching its view on thesunnah rather than establishing political presence.[208] It is popular among youths who reject the traditionalism of mainstream Izala.[209]
Makarantu largely target the city's women and young people.[210] During the Islamic revival, these provided the first Islamic education for many women in the city.[211] Women with formal employment are one of the largest contingents of Islamic education proponents in the city.[212] The city's Islamic broadcast media largely targets women.[213] Public sermons, known aswa'azai, typically take place on Thursdays.[206] Sunnance preachers in Niamey performwazu, a form ofIslamic outreach that involves preaching to large gatherings, with a nontraditional, dramatic style that involves narrative, humour, and colloquialisms.[214] Popularised in the 2000s and 2010s, it is opposed by many Sufi and mainstream Izala leaders in the city.[215] Many mosques in Niamey prohibitwazu, which is often instead performed in public places, increasing its visibility.[216] Sunnance followers in the city also hold theological discussion groups they callziyāra.[217]
Christians in Niger are mostly concentrated in Niamey and Maradi.[218] Niamey has a Christian community descended from migrants. A large church is run by wealthy Christians with ties to Maradi andTibiri. Francophone African immigrants are served by a French-language church and theCentre Biblique, a library run by the organisationSIM.[219]Pentecostalism has a widespread media presence, paralleling that of Izala.[220] TheRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Niamey was founded in 1942 and has been themetropolitan diocese of theecclesiastical province of Niger since 2014.[221]
Niamey's firstCatholic mission was established in 1931 by FatherFrançois Faroud [fr].[222] The Catholic mission has run secular schools in Niamey since 1949, having been supported by the colonial government as Islam overtookanimism in the area.[223] Initially teaching only boys, the Catholic school became coeducational in 1961.[224] TheBaptist Church became active in the city in the late 20th century.[225] TheÉglise Évangelique Salama du Niger, a Christian group established in 1989, is primarily active in Niamey.[226]
Niamey is theprimate city of Niger.[227] Its economic development was limited during the colonial era due to its lack of connections to other cities. Urban expansion in the 1970s and 1980s led to it becoming a regional economic centre, though its economic power is limited by its distance from larger centres, emigration to other countries, and the instability of the region.[228] Thejihadist insurgency in Niger has limited foreign demand for goods in the country, hindering some commerce in Niamey.[165]
Niamey's main economic activities are commercial.[107] Most people in the city rely on informalpeddlers andstreet markets for common purchases, including food, clothing, water (see§ Water), and pharmaceuticals (see§ Healthcare). These vendors typically sell a single product or service.[229] TheNiamey Grand Market (Grand Marché) is the city's largest commercial site,[230] and thePetit Marché [de] in the city centre is the largest vegetable market.[231]Street food vendors, mostly women, sellcowpea-based foods such askossaï, primarily at breakfast time.[232]
Niamey has extensiveurban agriculture includinganimal husbandry.[107] The city is located in apearl millet and cowpea growing region; agricultural products include millet, meat, eggs, and dairy.[95] Rice is grown on the floodplains the Niger River in neighbourhoods including Saga, Kirkissoye, andLosso Goungou [de],[233] though rice is mostly imported.[234] Niamey's agricultural infrastructure enables the farming of more resource-intensive vegetables than in rural parts of Niger.[235] Demand for food in Niamey has led to an increase in farming of potatoes, which had previously been a luxury in the region. Farmers in nearby villages purchase potato seeds primarily from thePetit Marché and sell potatoes for a higher profit than more common crops.[236] Livestock includes sheep and goats in the urban area and cattle in the periphery.[136]
Niamey has little industrial activity, and most products are imported.[234] Manufacturing industries includeleatherworking,chemicals, and soap production. Food processing activities include brewing, dairy,meatpacking, and syrup production.[237] Financial investment is primarily from Nigerien citizens. The city has about ten commercial banks, as well as a housing bank and an agricultural bank.[238]
Residents of Niamey have various kinds of conversation groups.[239]Tea drinking groups for young men, known asfadas, are located at many spaces in the city.[240]Fadas originated in Niamey during the 1990s democratisation era before spreading to other Nigerien cities; some members offadas attribute their creation to the protests against the Kennedy Bridge massacre.[241] Being active at night,fadas defend their neighbourhoods, especially in areas without police patrols.[242]Fadas are primarily a phenomenon of unemployed men, though manyfadas in the city consist of students,[243] and some include women.[244] Many women in the city instead form smaller gatherings or financially supportive social groups calledfoyandi.[245] The city's Hausa conversation groups, orhira groups, usually assemble at streetside spots.[246] These groups, often formed through hometown connections, are single-gender and mostly male. Most of the city's Hausa men lack full-time employment, so they spend most of their time with these groups.[247] The city'shira groups include seasonal and long-term migrants, and some include non-Hausa people. Many people are members of multiple groups.[248]
New Year's Eve is a popular holiday in Niamey due to global influence, though conservative Muslims reject it for itsassociations with Christmas and alcohol. It was rarely celebrated in Niamey until widespread festivities a few weeks after the city hosted the2005 Jeux de la Francophonie.[249] New Year's Eve provides an economic boost, being the most popular day for live music and nightlife, the only secular holiday to feature feasts, and, for many Niameyans, the only day they drink alcohol.[250]
Fakaray, a form oforation built on improvising details, is popular among the city's youth.[251] With the influence of global popular culture in Niamey, some musicians performNigerien hip-hop music in Hausa or Zarma,[252] andhip-hop fashion is popular among young men.[253] Organisations such as theCentre pour la formation et la promotion musicale support hip-hop production.[254] The orchestraTal National performs at its own concert hall in Niamey.[255] Niamey's Islamic revival increased the popularity of women'sIslamic fashion, including clothing imported from the Middle East and Asia; women who wear expensive Islamic clothing are known idiomatically ashajiya. Meanwhile, Western fashions became popular among wealthy, Western-educated women, as well as a group of young women known asles souris d'hôtel (transl. hotel mice).[256]
Niamey is the Nigerien city with the most photography studios.[191] Most photographers in the city are Togolese, Beninese, or Nigerian Yoruba immigrants, with the latter running 75% of the city's studios in 2000.[257] Apprenticeships led to the spread ofYoruba photography across the city.[258] Niamey is a centre for pottery markets, with Saga historically being a centre of Bella Tuareg pottery.[259] Most of the pottery sold in Niamey is made in the nearby village ofBoubon.[260] Niamey has a large market for Tuareg craftwork and art, often purchased by Western expatriates, which has motivated Tuareg artisans to work in the city; the market ofChâteau 1 [de] became a popular place for such products in the 1990s.[261]
Most of Niamey's tall buildings were built during the uranium boom of the 1970s and 1980s.[262] In addition to storefronts and high-rise office buildings, the city centre contains stadiums, cultural centers, and theMusée National Boubou Hama.[151] Niger being a predominantly Muslim country, mosques are the most common places of worship, with theGrande Mosquée being the largest in the city. There are also various Christian churches, includingOur Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral, the seat of theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Niamey, and the Cathedral de Maourey.[263][264] TheNiamey 2000 [de] neighbourhood, the first densehousing estate in the city, was designed by the firmunited4design for middle-class residents. It was built with local materials and was one of the first projects in the city to usecompressed earth block construction.[265]
Niamey makes up acapital district of Niger, the Niamey Urban Community (CUN), a first-level subdivision equal to the sevenregions of Niger. The CUN's administration, appointed by national leaders, is led by theGovernor of Niamey, accompanied by the Secretary General and Assistant Secretary General.[274][275] On a municipal level, forty-five councillors are popularly elected and in turn elect the Prefect Mayor; the first mayor under this system was Oumarou Dogari in 2011.[275] The City Council and Mayor have limited roles compared to the CUN Governor.[275] The city was placed under military rule in 2024, with the municipal government being dissolved.[2] Before, the municipal government was largely funded through sale of land.[116] The CUN also has three traditional chiefdoms:Saga [de] lies entirely within the community, whileKarma andLamordé [de] extend into Tillabéri Region.[276] Traditional chiefs have less power than in other parts of Niger; they performtax collection and act as community representatives.[277] Neighbourhood chiefs (chefs du quartier) also exist without government recognition, mostly in lower-class neighbourhoods.[278]
Niamey has one of twocourts of appeal in thejudiciary of Niger (with the other in Zinder). The Court of Appeal of Niamey oversees four district courts, including the Higher District Court of Niamey,[279] which has the largest caseload in Niger.[280] Other courts located in Niamey include the Niamey Regional Court, theCouncil of State and theConstitutional Court.[281]
Niamey has a low rate ofviolent crime.[110] The city's public spaces, including greenspaces and market neighbourhoods, have criminal reputations in public discourse.[282] With increased police presence after the2010 coup, Niamey was divided into three sectors with night patrols by different state police groups: theGendarmerie Nationale on the right bank,Police Nationale on the left bank, andGarde Nationale on the north side.[283] Niamey has a higher proportion of women in police, customs, and forest service positions than most of the country,[284] and the gendarmerie has noted "a large proportion of single women and a preference to reside there."[285] In addition to state police, Niamey has most of the country's private security companies; the oldest, GED Services, was founded in 1988.[286]Yan banga, informal defence forces, exist in peripheral neighbourhoods, where they are sometimes established by chiefs.[287] These belong to specific neighbourhoods, unlike police, though someyan banga lose the support of their neighbourhoods.[288]
Under Law No. 2002-15, passed on 11 June 2002, the CUN contains five municipal districts.[274] These districts were labelled ascommunes of Niger, although the Niamey Urban Community is the central authority.[289] Each commune elects a council and a mayor with administrative duties.[290][275] The urban area of the CUN is organised into 90quartiers, and the rural area consists of 37 attached villages, as of 2023[update].[291] Each quartier has an elected government.[234]
The boundaries of Niamey's communes are based on historic villages: Niamey I contains Goudel and Yantala; Niamey II contains Maourey, across the gully ofGounti Yéna [de] from Niamey I; Commune III contains Kalley; Commune IV contains Gamkalé and Saga; and Commune V, on the right bank, was the site of Fula settlements.[289]
Niamey's roads are traversed by cars, motorcycles, pedestrians, goats, and camels.[122] Most of the population travels primarily by foot, while about 9% own cars, and another 9% own motorbikes, as of 1996[update].[292] Roads are the main mode of transportation between Niamey and the rest of Niger.[293] Niamey is crossed by theRN1 highway (orLa Route de l'Unité), connecting it toN'guigmi on the eastern edge of Niger.[293] Niamey is located on routes connecting northern Niger to coastal West Africa and the Sahara.[294] The route between Niamey andAgadez, which takes approximately one day of driving,[295] is a significant path fortrans-Saharan migrants.[294]
Cargo frequently travels via Benin as it has the closest seaport to Niamey, thePort of Cotonou [fr].[296] Boats are infrequently used to travel the Niger River as it traverses little of Niger. A freight company has operated along the Niger River since 1975 but, as of 2008[update], has an annual load of only a few thousand tons, and there is a lack of support for a planned connection to the coast.[46] The main highway in western Niger connects Niamey to Benin, linking tothe country's rail system.[293] Following plans from the 1970s for a railway to Benin,[297]Niamey railway station, the first one built in Niger, was inaugurated in April 2014,[298][299] and rails between Niamey andDosso, Niger, were completed in January 2016. However, the extension to Benin failed, the rails fell into disrepair, and disassembly began in 2024.[300] Niamey is served byDiori Hamani International Airport, located to the southeast of the city centre.[126] The airport houses a military base,Air Base 101 [fr].[83]
Most people in Niamey have experience withbiomedicine,Islamic medicine, andfolk medicine (includingmedicinal plants and spiritual healing), with uncertainty about health issues requiring them to seek multiple providers.[301] The city has better healthcare than rural Niger,[302] though patients are often unhappy with medical professionals whose behaviour is impersonal or violates social norms.[303] As of 2012[update], Niamey has one doctor for every 6,774 people, one nurse for every 3,765 patients, and one midwife for every 832 women of reproductive age, lower thanWHO recommendations.[304] Scarcity of required medications, materials, and labour leads to a high level of improvisation among the city's medical professionals.[305]Marabouts who act as folk healers are common the city, advertising their treatments to the population with limited access to biomedicine.[306] Most pharmaceuticals are purchased from street vendors, known in Hausa asakwaku (lit.'clerk'),[note 7] who sellgeneric drugs in individual portions for much lower prices than licensed pharmacies. These began operating in the 1990s and became widespread in the 2010s.[308] The city'sakwaku are universally male and largely Zarma, and they carry products in pushcarts oron their heads.[309] They lack pharmaceutical expertise and buy from unlicensed wholesalers, mostly at the Grand Market.[310] Despite widespread views of medical professionals ascharlatans, Niameyans largely rely onakwaku when facing health problems.[311]
Despite the presence of maternal health centres, Niamey has highmaternal mortality,[319] with a rate of 30.7 per 100,000 births in 2022[update].[320] Many patients seeking prenatal care get inadequate treatment.[305] Biomedical contraception is widely availabile in pharmacies and medical facilities but is used less frequently than plant-based folk medicine, as many people view it as foreign.[321] Many Niameyan women use contraception or abortion to controlbirth spacing, despite norms favouring large families.[322] Asabortion is illegal in the country, they often seek abortions abroad.[323]
As of 2005[update], 54.4% of households in Niamey have electricity, while 38.3% have water.[110] Niamey'selectrical grid is run byNIGELEC, astate-owned enterprise. The city'swater supply is operated by the private firmSociété d'Exploitation des Eaux du Niger (SEEN) and runs on infrastructure owned by the state-ownedSociété de Patrimonie des Eaux du Niger (SPEN). Many residents of Niamey lack connections to these utilities because urban expansion has outpaced the expansion of the grids.[324] Many informal neighbourhoods are excluded from utilities as their residents lack legal recognition.[126] Some residents of informal neighbourhoods negotiate with the public utility firms or invest their own funds to connect to the grids.[324] The grids are unreliable during the hot dry season, especially on the right bank.[325]
Energy in Niger, including in Niamey, is dependent on imports from Nigeria, which were halted in the 2020s due totensions between the countries. A 132-kilovolt connection to Niamey fromBirnin Kebbi, Nigeria, has a capacity of 120 megawatts. The city's grid is also powered by thethermal power plants of Gorou Banda (80 megawatts) and Istithmar (89 megawatts) as well asa solar power plant (30 megawatts).[326] TheUnited Nations Economic and Social Council began solar power development in the city in 1964, the first in West Africa.[327] The city has a climate conducive to solar panels but lacks financial incentives for widespread implementation.[328]
Niamey has typical electricity usage for a city. Its averageelectrical load is about 90 megawatts, with a peak of about 123 megawatts during extreme heat. Niamey frequently experiencespower outages,[329] despite government plans forthe country's oil industry to improve electricity access.[330] Some residents who are not connected to the electrical grid installelectric generators,solar panels, orunauthorised wiring that connects to the grid, while others rely on portable lights and mobile phone charging services.[331]Firewood is a vital energy source in the city, with annual usage increasing from 70,000 tons in 1977 to 200,000 tons in 2007. It is harvested from distant forests, with the largest source being the municipality ofTorodi.[332]
The Niger River is the sole source of Niamey's water supply.[91] Increased use resulted in a decline in the river'swater quality in the late 20th century.[333] Unlike most of Niger, Niamey has a central water supply, so the resource is sold as acommodity.[334] According to official sources, pipes serve about 65% of Niamey's population as of 2008[update].[note 8] The rest receive water from sources such as publicly fundedstandpipes orwater towers funded by charities or Islamic organisations.[336] Standpipes are the cheapest source of water, with a cost of 15 francs (3 US cents) for 25 litres, as of 2014[update].[337] Niamey's neighbourhoods have uneven access to water. Neighbourhoods in both the periphery and the city centre have low use oftaps; SEEN does not operate in these neighbourhoods due to their topography or lack of legal recognition.[338] Hand-dugwells exist in lower-class neighbourhoods of the periphery and are often polluted,[339] though they have become rare as neighbourhoods install communally fundedboreholes.[340] More affluent neighbourhoods in the periphery are connected to the pipe system.[341] In such neighbourhoods, wealthy residents often supply water for their poorer neighbours.[163] Compounds have taps in courtyards; only upper-class residents have taps inside their houses.[337] Access to piped water is unreliable during the dry season,[342] when water usage increases due to heat. During this time, water is supplied by water towers, installed by SEEN in most neighbourhoods, or smaller tanks in some households and compounds.[343]
People whose homes lack piped water purchase water from vendors, leading to higher water prices for poorer residents.[344] Water deliverers, known in Hausa asga'ruwa (lit.'there is water'), purchase water from standpipes to fill 25-litre jugs, which they deliver to households via pushcart.[345] Providing over half of the city's drinking water,[335]ga'ruwa operate in groups on regular routes[230] and make an above-average income.[346]Ga'ruwa are universally male; most are immigrants from around eastern Mali who are predominantly Tuareg or Fula.[347] They receive annual municipal licences and operate informal guilds and apprenticeships.[230] Other vendors sellwater sachets, known in Hausa aspiya wata (from the Englishpure water). Water sachet vendors arose around the 1990s, manually filling sachets imported from Nigeria; factories were established by the early 2000s and supplanted manual production by the 2010s.[348] Water sachets are sold by street vendors withcoolers, especially in poor neighbourhoods; this is a commonentry-level job in the city, with many boys employed by female relatives.[349] Water sachets are also sold at shops, including in wealthy neighbourhoods.[350] Vendors purchase water sachets from small-scale producers, which purchase water fromga'ruwa, and more popularly from large-scale producers, which use printed labels and piped water.[351]Bottled water is rare and expensive. The bottled water market is dominated by local brands—which are more contaminated than piped water—alongside high-end French brands.[352] Most households store water in clay pots.[260]
Standpipes were installed in the 1950s by the French semi-publicSociété Energie A.O.F., the predecessor of NIGELEC. These offered subscription pricing, leading to thega'ruwa business model.[353] The water utility became independent from NIGELEC during the Kountché administration, forming theSociété National des Eaux) (SNE,transl. National Water Company) under theMinistry of Hydraulics [fr].[354] Droughts of the 1980s dried the Niger River, and construction of wells increased.[355] After the privatisation of SNE under Baré, Niamey's water supply became unreliable; in 1990, an estimated 22% of the city's inhabitants had access to water taps, though the government gave this figure as 45%.[356] SEEN began operating the city's water utility in 2001, under a plan from theWorld Bank.[357] The French firmVeolia Water purchased a 51% share in SEEN the same year.[341] The World Bank's plan increased the price of water, with the intention that wealthier users pay for more water, which critics say does not account for the needs of large, poor households.[358] Investment in the 2000s and 2010s led to a large increase in standpipes,[359] but access to water in the city remained low.[360]
Niamey produces about 1,400tonnes of waste per day, as of 2020[update].[361] Most waste consists of sand and organic matter such as pruned branches, leaves, andfood waste.[362] The city does not have a standardisedwaste collection system. Plastic litter is common, including used water sachets.[363] Waste is oftenburned or enters the Niger River.[364] Residents of some wealthy neighbourhoods hire private waste collectors, who often dump waste in poor neighbourhoods in the absence of recycling facilities.[365] Reuse of materials is common in the city;scrap metal is often recycled at theMarché de Katako [de].[366]
Niamey'ssanitation system drainswastewater with rainwater along the Gounti Yéna valley.[367] Waste dumped on the ground pollutes the river and groundwater, and litter often obstructsdrainage pipes.[368] As of 2020[update], municipalwastewater treatment has been non-functional for over a decade; some factories and hospitals treat their wastewater themselves.[369] Contamination of the water supply is exacerbated during the rainy season due to flooding.[370]
Abdou Moumouni University (AMU) in Niamey is the most prominent university in Niger. It has 29,605 students, as of 2022[update], most of whom come from outside of the city.[371] The university was founded as theCentre d'Enseignement Superieur in 1971 and became a university in 1973.[372] It has a large political influence, having been the site ofMarxist-Leninist activism in the 1990s and Salafi activism in the 2010s, and some protests at the university have resulted in military intervention.[373]
The city has several types of secular and Islamic education. Quranic education, both formal and informal, is popular. Such education is not publicly funded, and some children in the city engage in begging to pay for it.[374] TheCollège Mariama [de], one of the most prestigious secondary schools in Niger, was founded during the colonial era by the Catholic Church.[223] Informal neighbourhoods often lack public services such as schools. After widespread advocacy from residents, the first school in the Pays Bas opened in 2008, serving 1,000 students, followed by another in Pays Bas and one in Tondigamay in 2010.[375]
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Moussa, Yahaya Maazou; Diop, Ibrahima Thione; Nassirou, Ibrahim; Nafiou, Malam Maman; Soulé, Moussa (January 2024). "Determinants of the urban green spaces management practices in the city of Niamey, Niger".Cities.144 104641.doi:10.1016/j.cities.2023.104641.
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Descroix, Luc; Mahé, Gil; Olivry, Jean-Claude; Aubergel, Jean; Tanimoun, Bachir; Amadou, Ilia; Coulibaly, Brehima; Bouzou Moussa, Ibrahim; Faran Maiga, Oumarou; Malam Abdou, Moussa; Souley Yéro, Kadidiatou; Mamadou, Ibrahim; Vandervaere, Jean-Pierre; Gautier, Emmanuèle; Diongue-Niang, Aida; Dacosta, Honoré; Diedhiou, Arona. "Chapter 7. Anthropic and environmental factors involved in the increase in flooding in the Sahel". InSultan et al. (2017).
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