Since the conclusion of the so-called National Conference, during which the military junta’s government claimed to have issued a memorandum on the refoundation of the Republic, notably including Article 12, the transitional military administration has pursued policies that threaten social cohesion through deliberate manipulation of linguistic concepts. Article 12 enumerates the languages in use in Niger: Arabic, Buduma, Fulfulde, Gourmantchéma, Hausa, Kanuri, Tagdalt, Tamajaq, Tasawaq, Tubu, and Zarma-Songhai. However, it designates Hausa as the “national language” while classifying French and English as working languages—a classification amplified by governmental decisions in March 2025. This approach reveals a twofold manipulation: first, the division of local languages into national and non-national, which undermines community identities and raises fears of future citizenship deprivation for their speakers; second, the designation of French as a “working language” despite its de facto status as the official language, in a populist maneuver that fails to alter reality. As a Nigerien democrat, I condemn these divisive policies and call for an equitable linguistic policy that celebrates Niger’s diversity while supporting its national and international aspirations.
First Manipulation: Dividing Local Languages and Threatening National Identity
Designating Hausa exclusively as the “national language” in Article 12, as reaffirmed by the military government’s decisions, constitutes a dangerous manipulation of terminology. This classification implicitly suggests that other local languages—such as Tamajaq, Fulfulde, Zarma-Songhai, and Arabic—are not national, despite being the languages of Niger’s indigenous peoples, embodying its history and heritage.
Language is a pillar of national identity; stripping it of its national character paves the way for the marginalization of its speakers and risks, in the long term, the deprivation of their citizenship, as the lack of national recognition for a language logically and politically entails the non-recognition of its speakers.
The majority of Nigeriens, including speakers of other languages, do not oppose the formalization of Hausa as a national or official working language. On the contrary, they strongly support this move, viewing Hausa as an authentic national language representative of Niger, unlike French, a relic of the colonial era.
However, what provokes their outrage is the denial of national status to their local languages, which makes them feel excluded from the national identity and threatens their integration into the national project. Tamajaq, the age-old language of the Tuareg, Fulfulde, the widely spoken language of the Fulani, and Zarma-Songhai, the language of the riverine civilization, are as national as Hausa. Their marginalization fuels ethnic and cultural divisions, rekindling historical tensions, such as the Tuareg uprisings, in a country that desperately needs unity.
Second Manipulation: French as a “Working Language” in a Populist Ploy
The second manipulation lies in designating French as a “working language” and the military government’s persistence in promoting this term following the March 2025 decision, which downgraded its status in favor of Hausa. French, the official language since independence, dominates administration, education, and the judiciary. Labeling it a “working language” changes nothing about its actual predominance; it is a populist maneuver suggesting a “liberation” from colonial heritage without substantive reforms. This manipulation deceives the public, as it does not translate into the promotion of local languages in education or administration but maintains the status quo under a new name.
Conversely, we support the inclusion of English as a working language, despite its limited current usage. English, a global and scientific language, offers promising prospects in technical, scientific, and economic fields. Its adoption enhances Niger’s capacity to integrate into the global economy and enables its youth to access educational and innovative opportunities. However, this support does not justify the manipulation of terms regarding French for propagandistic purposes. Instead of altering labels, the government should have invested in educational programs teaching local languages alongside English and developed media in languages like Tamajaq and Fulfulde.
Political Solution: An Equitable and Inclusive Linguistic Policy
To counter these manipulations, I call for a reform of Article 12 to enshrine linguistic justice and support Niger’s national and international ambitions. I propose the following draft of Article 12, which unites the Nigerien people rather than dividing them:
Article 12:
a) The national languages in use in Niger are: Arabic, Buduma, Fulfulde, Gourmantchéma, Hausa, Kanuri, Tagdalt, Tamajaq, Tasawaq, Tubu, and Zarma-Songhai.
b) The official language is: Hausa.
c) The working languages are: English “in the future” and French “temporarily.”
d) Other national languages may be officialized in the future based on historical, cultural, and academic considerations.
This formulation achieves several objectives:
Fostering national unity: By classifying all local languages as national and equal, this wording reaffirms respect for each community’s identity, preventing exclusion and safeguarding the citizenship of their speakers.
Strengthening Hausa as the official language: Recognizing Hausa as the official language reflects its widespread use and national authenticity, addressing the people’s aspirations for its formalization as a national alternative to French.
Balancing realities and ambitions: Maintainingع French as a “temporary” working language acknowledges its current administrative role while signaling its transitional nature to gradually move away from colonial heritage. Including English “in the future” reflects ambitions for scientific progress and global integration while allowing time to develop educational programs to expand its use.
Ensuring future flexibility: Stipulating the potential officialization of additional national languages based on historical, cultural, and academic criteria demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity and paves the way for an evolving linguistic policy in service of diversity.
Implementing this formulation requires an inclusive national dialogue involving representatives of all linguistic communities. This dialogue must focus on strengthening multilingual education, supporting local media in national languages, and developing programs for teaching English in technical sectors. These measures will demonstrate a commitment to national unity and scientific progress while sparing Niger the risks of cultural division.
Conclusion: Language in Service of Unity and Progress
Dividing local languages into national and non-national and manipulating the designation of French as a “working language” for populist purposes are strategies that threaten national unity and undermine Niger’s ambitions. As a democrat, I urge the military government to adopt the proposed draft of Article 12, which honors all national languages, promotes Hausa as the official language, temporarily retains French as an administrative tool, and integrates English as a bridge to scientific progress. Niger is the home of all its languages and cultures, and its strength lies in its diversity and ambition. Let us work together to build a nation proud of its heritage and oriented toward a united and prosperous future.
By Oumar Moctar Alansary, Nigerien Writer and Politician
