The largest country in West Africa, Niger has an austere beauty which masks some of the highest poverty levels in the world. The country lies on the fringes of the Sahara desert, and its harsh environment and frequent droughts pose ongoing
challenges for its people.
In 2010, the UN’s Human Development Index (using criteria of life expectancy, education and health) ranked
Niger as 169th out of 171 countries. Less than half the population have access to a safe water supply, and communities often lack food for part of the year. Children are vulnerable to diarrhoea, malnutrition and stunted growth.
Primary school attendance is the exception rather than the rule. Girls especially drop out long before they learn to read or write.
Niger is home to an array of ethnic groups who largely co-exist in harmony. However, nomadic pastoralists – such as the Tuaregs – are being drawn into conflict with cultivators as land becomes scarce through population growth and desertification. Families are defined by male dominance. Women have little say in community life. Girls are often forced into marriage early, which puts lives at risk during childbirth. However, newly emergent women’s groups are beginning to fight for equality. Niger’s church, meanwhile, represents a small minority but is tolerated by the secular state and the dominant Islamic majority.