The military-led administration in Niger Republic has continued its drive to distance the country from French influence by officially recognizing Hausa as the nation’s new official language.
Historically, French has served as the country’s primary language, according to a report by Naturenex.
This significant change was outlined in a new national charter dated March 31, which was released in a special edition of the government’s official gazette.
As stated in the document, “The national language is Hausa,” while “the working languages are English and French.”
Naturenex notes that Hausa has long been a widely spoken language in Niger, particularly in regions like Zinder, Maradi, and Tahoua.
Among the nation’s approximately 26 million citizens, a majority are fluent in Hausa, whereas only around three million people—roughly 13 percent of the population—can speak French.
The newly introduced charter also recognizes nine other indigenous languages, such as Zarma-Songhay, Fula, Kanuri, Gourmanche, and Arabic, labeling them as “spoken languages of Niger.”
In addition to the language policy shift, Niger’s government has also chosen to exit the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie—an international body that unites countries with cultural and linguistic ties to France, much like the Commonwealth does for English-speaking nations.
Back in January, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed frustration over what he perceived as a lack of appreciation from African leaders.
Responding to political changes in the Sahel region, Macron said: “We had a relationship based on security — it was twofold. On one hand, it was our commitment to fighting terrorism since 2013. We were right, though I think someone forgot to say thank you. It’s okay, it will come with time.”
“Ungratefulness, I know too well, is a disease that cannot be transmitted to men. But I say this for all African heads of state who have lacked courage in the face of public opinion.”
“None of them would be sovereign countries today if the French army hadn’t been deployed in the region. My heart goes out to all our soldiers, some of whom have given their lives and fought for years.”
“We did the right thing. We left because there were coups. We were there at the request of sovereign states who asked France to come.”
“From the moment there were coups and the people stated their objectives no longer involved fighting terrorism — or were unclear— France no longer had a place there.”
