Don’t be surprised when you step into an office in Niamey or a hospital in Zinder and hear conversations in Hausa rather than the usual English or French. That’s because Hausa is now officially the national language of Niger.
This significant shift was announced in a new charter published on 31 March in a special edition of the government’s official journal. According to the document, “The national language is Hausa,” while “the working languages are English and French.”
Hausa is already the most widely spoken language in Niger, particularly in the central and southern regions such as Zinder, Maradi, and Tahoua. Most of the country’s population — roughly 26 million people — understand and speak the language. In contrast, French is spoken by only around 13 percent of the population, or just over three million people.
The new charter also recognises nine additional indigenous languages as “the spoken languages of Niger.” These include Zarma-Songhay, Fula, Kanuri, Gourmanche, and Arabic, reflecting the country’s rich linguistic and cultural diversity.
This change is part of a broader effort by Niger’s military government to distance itself from its colonial past and assert a new national identity. Since the junta seized power in July 2023, overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum, relations with France , have steadily unravelled. French troops have been expelled, and streets and public monuments with French names have been renamed.
Alongside Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger has also withdrawn from the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), a French-speaking international organisation that many see as a post-colonial structure akin to the Commonwealth.
© Bella Naija