Niger’s government has officially announced Hausa as the country’s new national language, moving away from French after many years.
The signifiant change was announced on March 31 in a special edition of the government’s journal. The new charter states clearly that Hausa is now the official national language of Niger. However, English and French will still be used as “working languages,” which means they’ll be used in some schools and offices too.
Niger also recognizes other local languages like Zarma-Songhay, Fula, Kanuri, Gourmanche, and Arabic as important spoken languages of the country.
This decision is part of a series of changes made by Niger’s transitional government after the military took over in July 2023. Since then, they have been slowly cutting ties with France by removing French soldiers, ending French diplomatic relations, and even changing the names of streets and buildings that had French names.
© WAVN
