Government & politics — Niger
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Government & politics at a glance
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations. Key figure for Niger: Republic of Niger
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Identity & names
- Full Country Name
Republic of Niger
- Country Name
Niger note: pronounced nee-zhair
- Local - Long
Republique du Niger
- Local - Short
Niger
- Etymology- history of name
named for the Niger River that passes through the southwest of the country; from a native term "Ni Gir" meaning "River Gir"
- Independence
3 August 1960 (from France)
- National Holiday
Republic Day, 18 December (1958); note - commemorates the founding of the Republic of Niger which predated independence from France in 1960
Political system
- Government Type
semi-presidential republic
- Constitution
- Legal System:
mixed legal system of civil law, based on French civil law, Islamic law, and customary law
- Executive Branch:
- Legislative Branch:
- Judicial Branch:
- Regions or States:
7 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 capital district* (communite urbaine); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder
- Political Parties and Leaders:
- Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
- Citizenship Criteria:
Capital & time
- Capital Name
Niamey
- Capital - geographic coordinate
13 31 N, 2 07 E
- Capital Time Difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
International role
- International Organization Participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU (suspended), CD, EITI (compliant country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LCBC, MIGA, MINUSCA, MNJTF, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International Law Organization Participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
- Diplomatic Representation from US:
- Diplomatic Representation in the US:
