Niger dumps French, adopts Hausa as official language

Niger's government has taken a significant step to distance itself from colonialism.

It has officially adopted Hausa as the national language.

Last week, a new charter was released in the government’s journal.

The military government announced that French is no longer the official language.

The document states, “The national language is Hausa.”

However, it also mentions that English and French remain working languages.

Hausa was already the most spoken language in Niger before this announcement.

Regions like Zinder, Maradi, and Tahoua have many Hausa speakers.

Reports indicate that about 26 million people live in Niger.

Most of them understand and speak Hausa fluently.

In contrast, only around three million people speak French—about 13 percent of the population.

The new charter lists nine other local languages as well.

These include Zarma-Songhay, Fula, Kanuri, Gourmanche, and Arabic.

These are recognized as “the spoken languages of Niger.”