Niger
Discover Niger
Niger (Nee-ZHAIR, rarely NY-jer) is a large, arid, landlocked country situated in the Sahel. Formerly a French colony, Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world and is largely agrarian. Negative things aside, Nigeriens in general are quite friendly and down-to earth, and you can expect to come across numerous curious faces during your stay. Chances are, you may be the first person from your country they have ever met. Tourism in this large country is limited, but travel allows you to explore an isolated nation tucked away from the rest of the world.
What to Experience in Niger
Taste of Niger...
Availability varies widely by region, but visitors may wish to try the following delicious specialities, usually available as street food: Be careful of the salads — even in the city, they're usually not OK for western travellers. Keep in mind that drinking alcohol is generally forbidden in Muslim culture, so take extra care to keep drunken, inappropriate behaviour behind closed doors and out of the public eye. The national beer is called, appropriately, Biere Niger. The only other locally produced beer is a franchise of the French West-African Flag brewery. While taste is in the eye of the beerholder, Biere Niger is decent. Both are brewed in the same tank from the same ingredients with the slightest variation on how much reconstituted malt they put in each batch. All other beer, boxed wine, and hard liquor is imported. In rare pockets of the capital you can find millet beer homebrew, brewed by Burkinabe immigrants. This is drunk out of calabash gourd bowls. Some compare the taste to a dry, unsweetened cider. See the Niamey section for directions. Locally-made non-alcoholic drinks are delicious. Safety depends on the water quality: generally OK in the capital and NOT OK in rural areas. They are either sold by women out of their houses (ask around), by young girls from trays on their heads, or by young boys pushing around coolers. These drinks include: There is a dearth of educational opportunities in Niger.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Niger into what it is today.
Not until 1993, 35 years after independence from France, did Niger hold its first free and open elections. A 1995 peace accord ended a five-year Tuareg insurgency in the north. Coups in 1996 and 1999 were followed by the creation of a National Reconciliation Council that effected a transition to civilian rule by December 1999. In 2009, a coup d'état toppled the elected-turned-dictator government, and returned Niger to an electoral democracy. After the transition to democracy, Niger became a strong ally of Western states like the United States and France, both of which established military bases and military cooperation with the Nigerien armed forces. Niger has played an outsized role in the global anti-terror movement, serving as a base of operations for the fight against insurgents in the Sahel and Saharan regions. However, this has led to an increase in terrorist attacks in and around Niger itself by militants that cross the porous borders from Mali and Burkina Faso. Although Niger has huge economic potential, Niger has never particularly been a wealthy country and the country has a myriad of social, economic, and political problems. Most people live in poverty and work as farmers. Niger is also the country with the youngest average population. Niger's economy centers on subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry, reexport trade, and increasingly less on uranium, because of declining world demand....
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsAn International Vaccination Certificate for Yellow Fever is mandatory, but Cholera vaccination certification is required only if travelling from a neighbouring country where an outbreak of the disease has been reported. There is one international airport (Aéroport International Diori Hamani de Niamey) in Niamey. As of August 2017, there were flights from West and North African capitals, Istanbul, and Paris. There are a few private companies and one mission aviation group (SIMAir) that do charter flights from Niamey in small planes. Travellers can get to Niger overland by roads from Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin and Nigeria. Some adventurous souls still cross the Sahara from the north (Algeria), but that area is not secure. As with most of the other Saharan and Sahelian states, the borders of Niger are truly just "lines in the sand" and thus are extremely porous. With the dangerous security situations in neighboring states (c.f....
Regions
Explore AreasNot until 1993, 35 years after independence from France, did Niger hold its first free and open elections. A 1995 peace accord ended a five-year Tuareg insurgency in the north. Coups in 1996 and 1999 …...
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Of the 19,000 km of highways, around 4,000 km is paved (as of 2010) and efforts are being made to improve some of the sections that have previously been endlessly under repair. You can travel from Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso all the way to Diffa, near Lake Chad on roads that are in decent to tolerable condition. The road from Niamey to "Park W" in the south is paved. The Zinder-Agadez route is being repaved after being in severe disrepair for years. The Birni Nkonni-Agadez-Arlit road is in poor shape. The country has 27 airports/landing strips, 9 of which have paved runways. From mid-December to March the Niger River is navigable for about 300 km, from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin border. Taxis in Niamey charge about CFA 200 if the distance isn't too long, or CFA 400 for going almost across the city. At the airport in Niamey there is a taxi monopoly and the lowest you'll get a taxi for is CFA 3,000, and that's if you haggle a lot.
Money & Budget
The currency of the country is the West African CFA franc, denoted CFA (ISO currency code: XOF). It's also used by seven other West African countries. It is interchangeable at par with the Central African CFA franc (XAF), which is used by six countries. Both currencies are fixed at a rate of 1 euro = 655.957 CFA francs. US dollars and other foreign currency are not accepted in daily transactions, only to exchange into local money via a bank or black market. Exception: near the border of Nigeria, the devaluing Nigerian currency naira is accepted. Ecobank take Mastercard and Visa card at their ATMs in Niger. Bargaining and haggling is essential and expected. It's best to have a low price and a maximum price in mind before entering into a negotiation.
Language & Talk
The official language in Niger is French, although very few people speak it outside Niamey and even there do not expect a high level conversation with the traders at the markets. The local languages include Djerma (spoken mainly in Niamey and the bordering Tillaberi and Dosso regions), Hausa, Fulfulde and Tamashek (spoken by the Tuaregs in the north), and Kanuri (spoken by Beri Beri). English is of no use outside the American cultural center and a few big hotels in Niamey. However, you will find English-speakers in border towns along the Nigerian border, such as Birni N Konni and Maradi. These people are usually from Nigeria to the south and in general want something from you. As friendly as they may be, always listen to a professional guide over anyone that speaks some English.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Niger is politically unstable and lawlessness is widespread. The latest coup d'état in early 2010 increased the unstable situation and every traveller should follow independent news closely and stay in contact with their embassy. Vicious and sadistic Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram members are present in Niger and have kidnapped and killed many, so it is essential to know the off-limit regions and avoid them. In the region north of Agadez, there have been many carjackings, kidnappings and robberies in the past sixteen or so years. The problems continue, and tourists should consider the area essentially lawless. You should not venture beyond Agadez even if you have a guide and a 4x4 vehicle unless you seriously know what you are doing. The roads past this point are of terrible quality and bandits are abundant. Avoid driving late at night in a private vehicle.
Glimpses of Niger
Niger river view
a group of giraffes standing around in the dirt
A city with a lot of brown buildings
Beautiful morning in Dubai - United Arab Emirates.
Sahel
The Algerian Trans-Sahara Highway between Tamanrasset and Assamaka in Niger. Near In Azoua. The road is paved with light blue granite, which gives this incredible hue. photo made by rouichi / switzerland
a couple of people standing on top of a hill
Alabaru (A Porter) rolling a wheel barrow in Lagos Market as a means of survival.
a dirt road in the middle of a desert
Know their faces.
Niger river view
a group of giraffes standing around in the dirt
A city with a lot of brown buildings