Niger’s military government has officially declared Hausa as the country’s national language, marking a significant cultural and political shift away from its colonial past with France.
The announcement, published in a special edition of the official journal on March 31, revealed that Hausa will now serve as the national language, while English and French are designated as working languages.
Since toppling civilian President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023, Niger’s junta has taken steps to sever ties with France, expelling French troops and removing French names from streets and monuments.
The move comes as Niger, along with fellow former French colonies Mali and Burkina Faso—also now under military rule—formally exited the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), an institution akin to the Commonwealth that promotes French language and culture.
Hausa, widely spoken across Niger’s central and southern regions including Zinder, Maradi, and Tahoua, is the most prevalent language in the country of 26 million. In contrast, only about 13 percent of the population—just over three million people—speak French.
The new charter also recognizes nine other indigenous tongues, including Zarma-Songhay, Fula, Kanuri, Gourmanche, and Arabic, as “the spoken languages of Niger.”
This linguistic reform stems from a national conference held in February, which also consolidated the power of junta leader General Abdourahamane Tiani, allowing him to remain in office for up to five more years.
The language shift is seen as both a cultural reclamation and a political statement, deepening the junta’s divergence from France and reinforcing a growing sense of national identity rooted in local heritage.
