Niger Profile

The land now known as Niger can be traced back to 135 million years BCE following the discovery in 1999 of a dinosaur named Jobaria Tiguidensis, a 20-ton Sauropod. Just five thousand years ago the land was fertile grassland but today, following millennia of desertification, 80% of the landlocked country is covered by the Sahara with that desert increasing in size every year. The area had a long experience of European exploration with it becoming occupied by France in 1890 and later turning into a French colony in 1922. Modern day Niger, with its population of 25.80 million (2022) shares borders with Nigeria and Benin to its south, Burkina Faso and Mali to its west, Algeria and Libya to its north and Chad to its east. Achieving independence on April 3rd 1960 from France, having briefly been an autonomous republic of the French Community for the two years before that time, Niger quickly lapsed into what can only be described as a failed state with a rapid succession of unstable governments, single party or military, with the latest coup occurring in 2010 and another thwarted in 2021.

Niger faces enormous challenges including famine, lack of rainfall and poor harvests as well as poor access to education or health services. Like in so many of the poorest countries in Africa, the average age is just 15 years old and the infant mortality rate in 2020 was 43.495 deaths per 1000 live births. This is widely credited to a low 13% immunization rate for children between 12-23 months. Just under half the population being aged 0-14 years old and life expectancy is around 62.42 years (2019). Those who survive are at risk of sexual exploitation and human trafficking for enforced begging, enforced working in in gold mines, domestic servitude and also for working in agriculture and stone quarries. To add to all of these problems are the famines that regularly sweep across West Africa placing literally millions of already malnourished children at risk of starving to death following years of drought across the region.

Already some 41,000 children have already dropped out of school because of these crises and a further half a million are also expected to do so as the situation worsens. Many will never return. Adding to the problem are the tens of thousands of refugees who have fled into Niger following the rebellion in the north of Mali. Find out all about Niger in the profile articles below exploring the country in more detail with pictures, facts and videos.

Niger Profile: Volunteer in Niger

Check out all the latest fee paying and free African volunteer work placements and charity work job opportunities abroad with local projects and volunteering organisations in Niger.

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Niger Profile: Life in Niger

About daily village life in Niger, where the majority of the population live in poverty, together with a short video documentary about life in the arid country.

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Niger Profile: Niger Images

Images of the Republic of Niger, one of the hottest countries in the world and mostly covered by the Sahara desert with a music video showing more images of the nation.

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Niger Profile: The Niger River

Explore the mighty Niger River as it flows through West Africa including Mali then out into the Gulf of Guinea.

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Niger Profile: Niger Quiz

Take our online trivia quiz and see how much you know about Niger including some interesting facts about the country.

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Niger Profile: Niamey Profile

A complete profile of Niamey, capital city of Niger, including Niamey information, facts, pictures and tourist attractions such as there are.

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Niger Profile: Niamey Airport

Make a virtual landing at Niamey International Airport also known as Diori Hamani Airport in this video and see Niger from the sky as you come into land.

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