By Andrew Haruna
Niamey, Niger – In a landmark move marking a definitive shift away from its colonial past, Niger’s military-led government has officially declared Hausa as the country’s new national language, replacing French.
This decision was outlined in a new national charter published on March 31 in a special edition of the government’s official journal. According to the charter, while Hausa becomes the national language, English and French will remain as the working languages of the government.
Hausa is the most widely spoken language across Niger, especially dominant in the regions of Zinder, Maradi, and Tahoua. Spoken and understood by a vast majority of the population, it stands in stark contrast to French, which is spoken by just 13 per cent—roughly three million of Niger’s estimated 26 million people.
The new charter also officially recognizes nine other indigenous languages—including Zarma-Songhay, Fula, Kanuri, Gourmanche, and Arabic—as “spoken languages of Niger.”
A Nationalist Shift
This policy change follows a national conference held in February 2025, which endorsed the authority of the ruling junta and extended General Abdourahamane Tiani’s mandate to govern for an additional five years.
Since coming to power in a military coup in July 2023, which ousted elected President Mohamed Bazoum, the junta has taken a series of bold steps to sever ties with France. These include expelling French troops, cutting diplomatic relations, and renaming streets and monuments that once bore French names.
Niger now joins Mali and Burkina Faso, fellow former French colonies under military rule, in redefining their national identity and reducing their reliance on French institutions. All three nations have distanced themselves from the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), a global body representing French-speaking countries.
This growing anti-French sentiment and cultural realignment could significantly reshape West Africa’s post-colonial trajectory, analysts say.
