by Omesh Prathiraja Niger has the world’s highest birth rate. With an average of over seven children per woman, this demographic phenomenon presents opportunities, such as a growth in the labor force and a youthful population that can bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas into various sectors in Niger. However, it also presents challenges for… Read more »
World Bank Announces $230 Million for Education in Niger
By Will Beeker Pic: Source In June, the World Bank approved an additional $230 million for Niger’s Learning Improvements for Results in Education (LIRE) project, bringing total funding to $370 million since the project’s inception. The funds will be used to build sustainable classrooms as well as girls-only boarding schools, with the aim of improving… Read more »
Niger and Climatic Migration
By Manvitha Prasad Kathula Source: NigerTZai Climate change is more than just hotter summers and colder winters. It often leads to mass migration – where people are forced to leave their homes behind as their environment becomes increasingly inhospitable. In Niger and most of Sub-Saharan Africa, rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and a significant increase in… Read more »
Water Scarcity and Malnutrition: An Interconnected Challenge
By Tawanda Mukwekwezeke The global issues of water scarcity and malnutrition are closely intertwined. An exploration of this complex relationship reveals how lack of access to clean water perpetuates the cycle of hunger and poor health. In regions without reliable access to safe drinking water, people often suffer and die from preventable illnesses that can… Read more »
Transforming Schools, Transforming Futures
By Kayleigh Redmond and Kayla Ruff In 2021, 21 Nigerien children died when their school, which was made of straw, caught on fire. Not only were these straw buildings deemed physically unsafe, they were also considered to be unsuitable for students’ growth and development. Now, more than ever it is imperative for children to have… Read more »
African Drone and Data Academy Empowers Nigerien Youth
By Amber Persson Imagine that a mother of five in rural Niger suddenly develops a fever, headache, and nausea; the diagnosis—malaria. She must receive treatment as soon as possible before the swift-acting disease develops further. Unfortunately, her community is largely inaccessible by road, and there are no hospitals in the vicinity. It could take several… Read more »
Water Access Can Reduce Violence
By Will Beeker Access to clean drinking water in Niger provides numerous benefits, one of which is a reduction in violence in its many forms. Studies have shown a connection between water scarcity and violence in the Sahel region of Africa, but also anywhere there is limited access to clean water. Even small variability in… Read more »
Secretary Blinken Makes Historic Visit to Niger
By Will Beeker Source: Secretary of State meets Nigerien authorities In March, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a historic visit to Niger during which he praised the country for upholding democracy as neighboring countries have fallen prey to coups and political upheaval. This is the first time in history that a U.S…. Read more »
We Zarma Love
By Megan Campbell Niger has a wide variety of indigenous languages, which are usually majority languages that are natively spoken in a certain area. Hausa, spoken all over Niger, is the most widely spoken indigenous language. Zarma is the second leading language, and it is spoken primarily in the Southwest region of Niger, and… Read more »
Local Land Rehabilitation Techniques May Be the Key to Restoring Niger’s Agricultural Lands
By Kayla Ruff Source: Nature Design According to a recently published study conducted in southern Niger, agricultural structures called ‘half-moons’ have the potential to substantially increase Niger’s crop productivity. Scientists assessed the effectiveness of these structures between 2013 and 2020 at 18 sites in southern Niger, and the results of the study revealed that there… Read more »
