₦airaland Forum

Niamey, Niger — At a Niamey market, mother of five Rakia Abdou haggles hard for a sack of rice, a staple out of reach for many in Niger due to record inflation.

“The prices of local food are falling but those for imported products are still high,” she said at the Wadata market, lightly coated in dust carried by the wind of west Africa’s Harmattan dry season.

It is almost a year since the lifting of heavy sanctions on Niger imposed by regional West African bloc ECOWAS to protest the overthrow of civilian president Mohamed Bazoum in 2023.

But constantly changing prices mean that many of Niger’s 26 million inhabitants face the grim daily choice of having to adapt or even go without.

Four days after military officers seized power, the Economic Community of West African States slapped tough economic and financial measures on landlocked Niger, one of the world’s poorest countries.

Economist Abdallah Souleymane said the sanctions “completely disrupted the supply chains” and resulted in “difficulties with imports”.

There were “repercussions on the cost of many products, particularly food”, he added in an interview on national television.

Inflation in Niger peaked at a record high of 15.5 percent in June last year before falling towards the end of the year, data from the National Statistics Institute showed.

For 2025 to 2026, it is expected to remain high at 5.4 percent, according to World Bank projections.

Border closed, long detour

Trade unions say the main factor driving costs higher is the closure of the border with Benin, which has the closest port through which 80 percent of Niger’s freight transited.

Niger, which is battling jihadist violence, refuses to open its border with Benin, accusing it of harboring jihadist training camps — an accusation Porto Novo denies.

Niamey has found a workaround via the port of Lome in Togo.

But this forces thousands of trucks to make a long detour and cross eastern Burkina Faso, running through a region also plagued by deadly jihadist attacks.

The new routes entail higher costs that are passed on to customers in the prices of essential necessities.

“It takes two to three months to get to Niamey, we have a lot of costs and there is the risk of attacks despite the military escorts,” Ghanaian driver Idrissou Issoufou told AFP.

He is a regular among the truck convoys and describes the journey as nothing short of an “ordeal”.

Another possibility for bringing in goods is by river.

While the land border with Benin is officially closed, some merchandise still crosses the Niger River separating the two countries — although it is not an ideal solution.

“From Benin, we bring products into Niger on the river, but it costs us a lot of money,” Salamatou Gna, a Beninese trader in Niamey, grumbled.

Changing habits

Previously, “with 10,000 CFA francs ($15.4, 15 euros) you could fill up your shopping basket. Today with the same amount, the basket is half empty,” Hadjia Hadjara said at another market.

“It’s no longer a question of preparing two large meals a day,” she said.

Mahaman Nouri, of the Association of Consumers’ Rights, said that many Nigeriens had been forced to change how they lived.

“To adapt, Nigeriens have completely changed their eating habits and are consuming (more) traditional dishes,” he added.

“I know many people who didn’t used to eat cornmeal but they have adapted. We need to return to local products,” he said.

To help ease the burden, Niger’s military-led government introduced measures including an unprecedented 50-percent cut in the cost of medical consultations and medical care for everyone.

Petrol, diesel and cement prices were also slashed as were customs duties.

Authorities organized the free distribution of food to the most vulnerable and special cut-price sales of grains.

In addition, the military rulers — who say restoring Niger’s national sovereignty is a priority — have banned the export of cereals notably to neighbor Nigeria to prevent shortages.

“Niger’s economy has shown resilience due in part to proactive measures taken by the authorities,” Han Fraeters, the World Bank’s country manager for Niger, said.

The measures have enabled public sector salaries to continue to be paid, he added.

Despite the difficult climate, the World Bank, which has resumed aid to Niger, forecasts that gross domestic product will expand by 6.5 percent on average in 2025 to 2026, largely due to agriculture and oil exports.

But, if inflation remains stubbornly high, nearly half of the population could be forced into extreme poverty by next year, the global lender warned.

Dindondin:
Dry mouth everywhere.
Nigerians have suffered more than sufferness.

dynicks:
Lol....I pray it doesn't get to this oneday.....where we get to see each other as barbecue..

AllBlack:
when you think about all the foods we no longer eat easily again in many Nigerian homes, we are almost in the cannibal zone unless something is done quickly about food security.

EbinPawaGovt:
I now check cheaper versions of beverages in the supermarket. Ebinpawa is real

misreal:
This is talking about nigeria oh,but nigeriens.
Make una open eyes read well oh

dynicks:
hahahahaha.....very shocking my brother.....

But this ain't about NIGERIANS BUT NIGERIENS

MT:
Why did Joe Biden lose US election ?

Inflation majorly

It’s a global thing.
.

AllBlack:
dem don come

givedemwotowoto:
While many of you are struggling to eat and stay healthy, they're using your money to pay hordes of online miscreants and social media influencers to remind you about Jan 15, 1966.

Dindondin:
Dry mouth everywhere.
Nigerians have suffered more than sufferness.

The people from Niger are referred to as Nigerien (pronounced "nee-ZHER-yen". This demonym is derived from the French word for Niger, reflecting the country's colonial history as part of French West Africa. The term "Nigerien" is distinct in its spelling and pronunciation from "Nigerian," which refers to the people of Nigeria, a neighboring country to the south.