Godsent Ogbebor
Niger Replaces French with Hausa as National Language in Break from Colonial Past
Niger’s military-led government has officially adopted Hausa as the national language, replacing French in a decisive step away from the country’s colonial ties with France.
The announcement was made through a new constitutional charter which stated, “The national language is Hausa,” while identifying English and French as “working languages.”
Since the military coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023, the junta has taken several measures to distance the country from French influence, including the expulsion of French troops and the renaming of streets and landmarks bearing French names.
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The move aligns with similar actions by neighboring juntas in Mali and Burkina Faso, both of which have also cut ties with Paris and withdrawn from the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), a group of French-speaking nations akin to the Commonwealth.
Hausa, spoken by a majority of Niger’s population—especially in the regions of Zinder, Maradi, and Tahoua now holds symbolic and practical national prominence. In contrast, French is spoken by only about 13 percent of Nigeriens, roughly three million people.
The revised charter also recognizes nine additional languages, including Zarma-Songhay, Fula, Kanuri, Gourmanche, and Arabic, as official spoken languages of Niger.
This linguistic shift stems from decisions made during a national conference in 2025, where the junta consolidated power by granting General Abdourahamane Tiani the authority to lead the country for the next five years.
