Niger’s ruling junta has formally adopted Hausa as the national language, replacing French, in yet another decisive step away from the country’s colonial past and strained relations with France.
The announcement was made through a new national charter published in a special edition of Niger’s official journal on March 31.
The charter declared, “The national language is Hausa” and further notes that “the working languages are English and French.”
This language policy shift follows the military coup in July 2023 that ousted the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum. Since seizing power, the junta has distanced itself from France — Niger’s former colonial master — by expelling French troops, terminating bilateral military agreements, and renaming streets and monuments bearing French names.
Hausa, the newly designated national language, is the most widely spoken language in Niger. It dominates in the central-southern regions such as Zinder and Maradi, as well as in parts of the west including Tahoua. It is also one of the most spoken languages across West Africa.
In contrast, French — which has long served as Niger’s official language since independence — is spoken by only about 13 per cent of the population, or just over three million of the country’s estimated 26 million citizens.
The new charter also recognises nine other indigenous tongues — Zarma-Songhay, Fula, Kanuri, Gourmanche, Arabic, and several others — as “the spoken languages of Niger.”
This move aligns Niger with its regional allies Mali and Burkina Faso, both of which are also governed by military regimes and have similarly broken ties with France. All three countries have withdrawn from the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, a post-colonial international organisation akin to the Commonwealth, which promotes the French language and cultural ties among former French colonies.
The language policy was one of the key outcomes of a national conference held in February, which consolidated the junta’s hold on power. During the conference, delegates approved an extension of junta leader General Abdourahamane Tiani’s tenure, allowing him to remain in power for up to five more years.
