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In a significant step towards distancing itself from its colonial legacy, the government of Niger has officially designated Hausa as the country’s national language.
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The announcement was made through a new charter released last week and published in a special edition of the government’s official journal. In the document, the military government declared that French would no longer serve as the country’s official language.
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“The national language is Hausa,” the charter stated, while also noting that “the working languages” of the country will remain both English and French.
Although newly formalised, Hausa has long been the most widely spoken language in Niger, particularly in the regions of Zinder, Maradi, and Tahoua. Reports indicate that a vast majority of the population—estimated at approximately 26 million—can understand and communicate in Hausa.
By contrast, only around three million people, representing roughly 13 per cent of the population, are French speakers.
The new charter also officially recognises nine other indigenous languages, including Zarma-Songhay, Fula, Kanuri, Gourmanche, and Arabic, as “the spoken languages of Niger.”
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This move is viewed as part of a broader effort by the country’s leadership to assert national identity and cultural autonomy in the post-colonial era.
Since gaining independence from France in 1960, Niger had used French as its official language for 65 years. This longstanding legacy of colonial rule remained embedded in the country’s administrative and official communications until the recent adoption of a new charter, which replaced French with Hausa as the national language—marking a significant cultural and political shift.