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Niger adopts Hausa as official language, no more French
Niger adopts Hausa as official language, no more French
By: Nii Ammui Fio | 1 min read
Niger has officially designated Hausa as the country's national language, moving away from French as its official language.
This decision was outlined in a new charter published last week in the government’s official journal.
The charter asserts that "the national language is Hausa," although both English and French will continue to serve as the country's working languages for official and administrative purposes.
Hausa has long been the most widely spoken language in Niger, especially in regions such as Zinder, Maradi, and Tahoua. Before the official language change, it was already the dominant language spoken by the majority of the population.
According to reports, roughly 26 million people in Niger speak and understand Hausa, while only about three million people, or 13% of the population, are fluent in French.
Along with the shift to Hausa, the charter also recognizes nine other local languages, including Zarma-Songhay, Fula, Kanuri, Gourmanche, and Arabic, as the nation's spoken languages.
