View source for Transport in Niger

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is a legitimate description when the title is already adequate; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{tone|date=August 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
[[File:SNTVbus-Ouagadougou-Niamey.jpg|thumb|right|A state-run [[Sociéte Nigerienne de Transports de Voyageurs|SNTV]] coach running between [[Ouagadougou]], Burkina Faso and [[Niamey]], Niger. Road transportation is a major form of travel across the huge distances between Niger population centers as most Nigerians do not own vehicles.]]
[[File:Transport in Niger.jpg|thumb|right|Horsecarts are a common sight on Niger's roads, like these near [[Diffa]] in far south-eastern Niger.]]

== History ==
[[Niger]]'s transportation system was underdeveloped during the [[History of Niger|colonial period]] (1899–1960), mainly dependent on animals, humans, and limited river transport in the far southwest and southeast. No railways were built during the colonial era,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Railways in Niger |url=https://www.sinfin.net/railways/world/niger.html |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=www.sinfin.net}}</ref> and roads outside the capital remained unpaved. The [[Niger River]] is unsuitable for large-scale river transport as it lacks depth for most of the year and is interrupted by rapid speeds in many areas. [[Camel train|Camel caravan]] transportation has historically been important in the [[Sahara desert]] and [[Sahel]] regions, which cover most of northern Niger. It is also used in the [[Sahel]] area, the home of the capital [[Niamey]].

==Governance==
Transportation, including vehicles, highways, airports, and port authorities, are monitored by the [[Nigerien Ministry of Transport]]'s Department for Land Water and Air Transport ("''Ministère des Transport et de l'aviation civile/Direction des Transports Terrestres, Maritimes et Fluviaux''"). Border controls and import/export duties are monitored by the independent tax police, the "''Police du Douanes.”'' Air traffic control is monitored and operated in conjunction with Pan-African [[ASECNA]], based on one of its five air traffic zones at [[Niamey]]'s [[Hamani Diori International Airport]].<sup>[1]</sup> A non-governmental organization, the Nigerien Public Transport Consumer Council ("''Conseil Nigérien des utilisateurs des Transports Publics CNUT''”), advocates on behalf of public transport users, including roads and airports.<ref name="parlementaire2009" />

==Highways==
[[File:Nigerroadnetwork.png|thumb|right|400px|The Nigerien road network. Paved roads are in green, "improved" (gravel or laterite) are in solid orange, "pistes" or dirt roads and tracks are orange dashes.]]
[[File:Highway to tahoua 2007 001.jpg|thumb|right|Two tourist vehicles stop for repairs on the main [[Niamey]] - [[Tahoua]] "Route Nationale", 1997.]]
[[File:Blvd Mali Bero from grand mosquee niamey.jpg|thumb|right|Truck and car traffic along Boulevard Mali Bero, Niamey.]]
Outside of cities, the first major paved roads were constructed from the northern town of [[Arlit]] to the [[Benin]] border in the 1970s and 1980s. This road, dubbed the ''Uranium Highway'',<sup>[1]</sup> runs through [[Arlit]], [[Agadez]], [[Tahoua]], [[Birnin-Konni]], and [[Niamey]], and is part of the [[Trans-Sahara Highway]] system.

An additional paved highway runs from Niamey via [[Maradi, Niger|Maradi]] and [[Zinder]] towards [[Diffa]] in the far east of the nation, although the stretch from Zinder to Diffa is only partially paved. Portions of this route are used by the [[Trans-Sahel Highway]] route. The Niger section is 837 km long (of which 600 km were in poor condition as of 2000), via Niamey, [[Dosso, Niger|Dosso]], [[Dogondoutchi]], Birnin-Konni, and Maradi to the [[Nigerian]] border at [[Jibiya]].

Other roads range from all-weather [[laterite]] surfaces to grated dirt or sandpistes, especially in the arid north.

The United States government in 1996 estimated there were a total of 10,100 km of highways in Niger, with 798 km paved and 9,302 km unpaved, but make no distinction between improved or all-weather roads and unimproved roads.<sup>[2]</sup> In 2012, there were 19,675 km (12,225 mi) of road network throughout Niger, of which only 4,225 km (2,625 mi) were paved.<sup>[3]</sup>

===Routes Nationale===
The national road system ("Routes Nationale") is numbered and prefixed with "RN”, as '''RN1'''. The numbering system contains routes or sections which are as yet unpaved or even unimproved tracks. ''Route Nationale no. 25'', for example, is a major paved highway from Niamey to [[Filingué]], follows the partially improved ''Route Nationale no. 26'' towards [[Abala, Niger|Abala]], veers off onto a dirt track (locally called a ''Piste'') from the villages of Talcho to Sanam, where RN26 also terminates from another direction. RN25 then continues along a piste through a largely uninhabited desert for almost 100 km before reaching the city of [[Tahoua]], served by other major paved roads. The main "Uranium Highway" then coincides with the RN25 to [[Arlit]] in the far north. Consequently, the informal names for the routes (e.g., "Uranium Highway") serve a somewhat more practical purpose than the RN numbers.<sup>[1] [2] [3]</sup>

===Road transport===
Nigeriens in both urban and rural areas rely on a combination of motor vehicles and animals for the transport of themselves and commercial goods. Road transport is the major form of travel across the huge distances between Nigerien population centers despite most Nigeriens not owning their own vehicles. In cities, public transport systems are largely absent, so a variety of privately operated services carry many urban dwellers. Vans, cars, motor coaches, trucks, and even converted motorbikes provide paid transport. Intercity coach systems are the standard form of personal transport, with the government operating one bus service (the [[Sociéte Nigerienne de Transports de Voyageurs|SNTV]]) and a multitude of buses, "[[bush taxi]]s" (''taxi brousse''), small vans, and semi-converted trucks taking passengers and goods. Services are sometimes scheduled from the "Highway stations" ("Gares routières") found in every town but are more frequently ad hoc: vehicles ply the trade between towns, picking up at stations or anywhere along the route, and departing only when full.<sup>[1]</sup>

Animals pulling wagons and loaded camel trains remain a common sight on Nigerien roads.<sup>[1]</sup>

===Motor vehicle regulation===
Vehicles in Niger are subject to the "Laws of the Road" ("''Code de la route''”), for which the government began a continuing reform in 2004-2006, which are based substantially on French models.<sup>[1]</sup> Vehicles travel on the right side of the road and roads use French-style signage.<sup>[2]</sup> Routes Nationale is marked with the traditional French [[Milestone]]s: a white tablet with a red top, marked with the route number. Vehicle owners must obtain a registration document (“''carte grise''") and vehicle license plates ("''plaques d’immatriculation''"), which are of similar manufacture to those in [[Guinea]] and [[Mali]].<sup>[3]</sup> License plates usually contain the national code "RN" for international travel.<sup>[4]</sup> Niger is a signatory to the September 1949 [[Geneva Convention on Road Traffic]] and thus honors [[International drivers license|International]] driver’s[[International drivers license|licenses]] from other signatories.<sup>[5]</sup> Drivers’ licenses are regulated through the national Ministry of Transport but issued by local officials.<sup>[6]</sup> Drivers must pass a driver’s test to qualify.<sup>[7]</sup>

A 2009 enforcement blitz in Niamey resulted in numerous arrests of owners of small motorbikes, common in Nigerien cities. One newspaper reported that most riders believed erroneously that there was no license or regulation required by law for motorbikes under 50cc in engine size, although these had been regulated in law since 2002 but not enforced.<sup>[8]</sup> Motorbikes are also common means of public transport in some Nigerien cities. These motorcycles "''taxis motos''", or "''kabu kabu''", are the primary form of taxis in cities like Zinder, Agadez, and Maradi. In Zinder, a 2009 local newspaper report claimed there were no more than "three to five" automobile taxis operating in a diffuse city, which subsequently relies upon the only partially regulated motorcycle taxi sector.<sup>[9]</sup>

===Road safety===
Road accidents have been identified as a major public health concern by the [[Nigerien government|Nigerian government]].  According to [[Chékarou Bagoudou]], Chief of the Division of Road Safety and Security of the [[Nigerien Ministry of Transport]], there were 4338 officially reported road accidents in 2008, with 7443 victims, of which 616 were killed. With the Nigerien government counting 18949&nbsp;km of roads in the nation, this comes to one accident for every five kilometers in 2008. Speaking before a National Assembly session, Bagoudou said that the 42.2 billion CFA francs spent on medical costs for road accident victims accounted for around 25% of the 2008 budget of the [[Nigerien Ministry of Public Health]]. Transport figures concluded that 70% of road accidents were caused by "human factors", 23% by mechanical faults, and 7% by road conditions.<ref name="parlementaire2009">[http://lesahel.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1757:journee-parlementaire-a-lassemblee-nationale-la-question-de-la-securite-routiere-en-debat-a-lhemicycle&catid=34:actualites&Itemid=53 Journée parlementaire à l'Assemblée nationale : la question de la sécurité routière en débat à l'hémicycle] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727030713/http://lesahel.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1757%3Ajournee-parlementaire-a-lassemblee-nationale-la-question-de-la-securite-routiere-en-debat-a-lhemicycle&catid=34%3Aactualites&Itemid=53|date=27 July 2011}}. Zabeirou Moussa. [[Le Sahel]], Niamey. 8 May 2009.</ref>

==Waterways==
[[File:NigerNiamey.jpg|thumb|right|the [[Niger River]] from southern Niamey, with the [[Kennedy Bridge (Niamey)|Kennedy Bridge]] in the distance. Seasonally shallow and broken by rapids, the river is difficult for large boats to navigate.]]
The [[Niger River]] is navigable 300&nbsp;km from [[Niamey]] to [[Gaya, Niger|Gaya]] on the [[Benin]] frontier from mid-December to March.  Thereafter, a series of falls and rapids rendered the Niger unnavigable in all seasons. In the navigable stretches, shallows prevent all but the small draft African canoes ([[Pirogue]]s and Pinnases) from operating in many areas. There are four major bridges over the Niger, three in Niamey (The [[Kennedy Bridge (Niamey)|Kennedy Bridge]], the Seyni Kountche Bridge and the Niger-Chinese friendship bridge<ref>Google maps https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bac+Fari%C3%A9/@13.5081106,2.0689566,8248m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x11da6f1baefddb59:0x3a533732c7d35977!8m2!3d13.7848079!4d1.6440483!16s%2Fg%2F11c7t1mys4</ref> the fourth at Bac Farie:<ref>Google maps: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bac+Fari%C3%A9/@13.7812087,1.6202239,14957m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x11da6f1baefddb59:0x3a533732c7d35977!8m2!3d13.7848079!4d1.6440483!16s%2Fg%2F11c7t1mys4</ref> plus the Niger River bridge at Gaya crosses into Benin.

Despite having no ocean or deep draft river ports, Niger does operate a port authority. Niger relies on the port at [[Cotonou]] ([[Benin]]), and to a lesser degree [[Lomé]] ([[Togo]]), and [[Port Harcourt]] ([[Nigeria]]), as its main route to overseas trade. [[Abidjan]] was in the process of regaining Niger's port trade, following the disruption of the [[First Ivorian Civil War|Ivorian Civil War]], beginning in 1999.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120714020531/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5327/is_346/ai_n30892910/ Abidjan port regains its regional importance] African Business, Oct, 2008 by Marcel Gossio.</ref> Niger operates a Nigerien Ports Authority station, as well as customs and tax offices in a section of Cotonou's port, so that imports and exports can be directly transported between [[Gaya, Niger|Gaya]] and the port. French Uranium mines in [[Arlit]], which produce Niger's largest exports by value, travel through this port to France or the world market.

==Airports==
The US government estimated there were 27 airports and/or landing strips in Niger as of 2007.<ref name="CIA">[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/niger/ CIA World Factbook: Niger]. updated on 20 November 2008</ref> Nine (9) of these had paved runways and 18 with unpaved landing strips.  ICAO Codes for Niger are prefixed "DR".

Of the 9 Airports with paved [[runway]]s, 2 with paved strips from 2,438 to 3,047 m: [[Diori Hamani International Airport]] and [[Mano Dayak International Airport]].  These are the only two Nigerien airports with regular international commercial flights. Six of the remainder have strips between 1,524 and 2,437 m, while one is under 914 m. 18 additional airports have unpaved runways 15 of them with strips between 914 and 1,523 m.
{{Main|List of airports in Niger}}

Major airports (with [[International Civil Aviation Organization airport code|ICAO code]] and [[IATA code]]) include:<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20050218043700/http://worldaerodata.com/countries/Niger.php Airports of Niger]}}, World Aero Data/ Aviation Networks, Inc.</ref>
* '''DRRM''' (MFQ) – [[Maradi Airport]] – [[Maradi, Niger|Maradi]]
* '''DRRN''' (NIM) – [[Diori Hamani International Airport]] – [[Niamey]]
* '''DRRT''' (THZ) – [[Tahoua Airport]] – [[Tahoua]]
* '''DRZA''' (AJY) – [[Mano Dayak International Airport]] – [[Agadez]] South
* '''DRZL''' (RLT) – [[Arlit Airport]] – [[Arlit]]
* '''DRZR''' (ZND) – [[Zinder Airport]] – [[Zinder]]
* '''DRZF''' () – [[Diffa Airport]] – [[Diffa]]
* '''DRZD''' () – [[Dirkou Airport]] – [[Dirkou]]
* '''DRRB''' (BKN) – [[Birni N'Konni Airport]] – [[Birni N'Konni]]

Other airstrips (with [[International Civil Aviation Organization airport code|ICAO codes]]) include:<ref>[http://www.pictaero.com/en/airports/country,ne Airports Niger]. PictAero.com  / Association de Gestion d'AeroWeb-fr.</ref>
* '''DRRI''' [[Bilma]]
* '''DRRC''' [[Dogondoutchi]]
* '''DRRD''' [[Dosso, Niger|Dosso]]
* '''DRRG''' [[Gaya, Niger|Gaya]]
* '''DRZG''' [[Goure]]
* '''DRZI''' [[Iferouane]]
* '''DRRP''' [[La Tapoa]]
* '''DRZM''' [[Maine Soroa]]
* '''DRZN''' [[N'guigmi]]
* '''DRRU''' [[Ouallam]]
* '''DRZT''' [[Tanout]]
* '''DRRA''' [[Tessaoua]]
* '''DRRE''' [[Téra]]
* '''DRRL''' [[Tillabery]]
* '''DRRZ''' [[Tillia]]

==Railway==
[[File:Niger, Niamey, Railway Station (terminus)(3).jpg|225px|thumbnail|right|[[Niamey railway station|Niamey station]]]]
[[File:Niger, Niamey, railway to Dosso (2).jpg|225px|thumbnail|right|Railway Niamey-Dosso in the outskirts of Niamey]]
There are no operational railways in Niger.<br>
Niger is a user of the Benin and Togo railway lines, which carry goods from seaports up to their endpoints, which are still hundreds of kilometers from the Niger border. Rail lines to [[Niamey]] and other points in Niger were proposed during the colonial period, and continue to be discussed. In 2012, a multi-national railway system was proposed to connect [[Benin]], [[Niger]], [[Burkina Faso]] and [[Ivory Coast]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/2010/10/extending-from-benin-to-niger/| title = Article on railwaysafrica.com}}</ref>

In April 2014, [[Niamey railway station|Niamey Railway Station]]<ref>{{in lang|fr}} [http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20140407-niger-inauguration-premiere-gare-ferroviaire-niamey/ "Inauguration of the first train station in Niamey"] ([[Radio France Internationale]])</ref><ref>[http://globalvoicesonline.org/2014/04/09/a-80-year-long-wait-niger-gets-its-first-train-station/ "A 80 Year-long Wait: Niger Gets its First Train Station"] ([[Global Voices Online]])</ref> was officially inaugurated and construction began for the railway extension connecting [[Niamey]] to [[Cotonou]] via [[Parakou]] (Benin).<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11358153.htm| title = Article on railpage.com.au}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/africa/2014-03/21/c_133204830.htm| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140408213320/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/africa/2014-03/21/c_133204830.htm| url-status = dead| archive-date = 8 April 2014| title = Article on news.xinhuanet.com}}</ref> 
The [[Niamey]] - [[Dosso, Niger|Dosso]] stretch of this railway was built between 2014 and 2016 by the French [[Bolloré]] conglomerate. But competing commercial interests by several parties resulted in endless litigation and the connection to Benin never materialized. So the 145&nbsp;km Niamey-Dosso stretch now lies orphaned and unused, with the tracks ending in the middle of nowhere some 6&nbsp;km south of Dosso. Already in 2019, neglect caused the tracks to be damaged to such an extent in some places (mostly by rain/water), that they have become unusable.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.railwaysafrica.com/blog/2010/10/extending-from-benin-to-niger/|access-date=17 October 2010|title=EXTENDING FROM BENIN TO NIGER | publisher = Railways Africa
}}</ref><ref>See: [https://www.reuters.com/article/africa-infrastructure-bollore-idUSL8N13L3TG20151127 Bollore's Niger-Benin rail project in jeopardy after rival wins court order], Reuters, 27 Nov. 2015.</ref><ref>See: [https://railbus.com.ng/index.php/uncategorized/nigerbenin-seek-resolution-of-rail-project-dispute/ Niger, Benin Seek Resolution of Rail Project Dispute] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811112308/https://railbus.com.ng/index.php/uncategorized/nigerbenin-seek-resolution-of-rail-project-dispute/ |date=2021-08-11 }}, Railbus.com, 9 Oct. 2019.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Körling |first=Gabriella |date=2018-08-15 |title=Elusive Connections: The Precarious Materiality of a Railway Project in Niger |url=https://nomadit.co.uk/conference/easa2018/paper/44979 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225225401/https://nomadit.co.uk/conference/easa2018/paper/44979 |archive-date=2021-02-25 |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=nomadit.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> At the Niamey Terminus Station, the rails are kinked to such an extent by the summer heat that the train would not be able to leave the station (see image). 

A rail connection from [[Maradi, Niger|Maradi]] into [[Nigeria]] is being considered.

== See also ==
{{Portal|Africa|Transport}}
* [[Geography of Niger]]
* [[Seasonal migration in Niger]]
* [[Railway stations in Niger]]
* [[Railway stations in Benin]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* Jolijn Geels. Niger. Bradt UK/ Globe Pequot Press USA (2006) {{ISBN|978-1-84162-152-4}}
* Samuel Decalo. Historical Dictionary of Niger (3rd ed.). Scarecrow Press, Boston & Folkestone, (1997) {{ISBN|0-8108-3136-8}}
* Abdou Bontianti et Issa Abdou Yonlihinza, [http://com.revues.org/index4032.html La RN 6 : un exemple d’intégration économique sous-régionale et un facteur de désenclavement du Niger], Les Cahiers d’Outre-Mer, 241-242 January–June 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2009.

==External links==
{{commons category-inline|Transport in Niger}}

{{Economy of Niger}}
{{Africa in topic|Transport in}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transport in Niger}}
[[Category:Transport in Niger| ]]