Niger Officially Adopts Hausa as National Language, Replaces French

The government of Niger has taken a decisive step to further distance itself from its colonial past by officially making Hausa the nation’s new national language, superseding French.

This significant change was announced in a new charter published in the government’s official gazette. The military leadership declared Hausa as the “national language,” clarifying that English and French will continue to serve as “working languages.”

Hausa already held the position of the most commonly spoken language throughout Niger, especially in key regions such as Zinder, Maradi, and Tahoua. It is estimated that a large majority of the country’s approximately 26 million inhabitants have a working knowledge of Hausa. In comparison, French is spoken by a much smaller segment of the population, around three million people, representing about 13%.

Alongside this change, the new charter also formally recognizes nine other indigenous languages, including Zarma-Songhay, Fula, Kanuri, Gourmanche, and Arabic, as “the spoken languages of Niger.”