Validation of the Niger Study

The national validation workshop on the Niger study was held at Abdou Moumouni University in Niamey on August 10, 2016. The participants, concerned with security issues, represented the world of research, media and law enforcement.

In addition to “Boko Haram”, which remains the principle threat to security in Niger, especially in the Lake Chad area, like most of the countries in the Sahel-Sahara region, Niger faces the threat of Islamists, as well as the Tuareg rebellions also experienced by Mali and collateral damage due to the collapse of Libya.

The participants focused on issues including the question of population growth, which is a real security challenge to the extent that defensive and security forces are not distributed in keeping with the distribution of the population. The forces are undersized.

Their recommendations included stressing the absolute need for better training on advanced technologies, and stronger participation by the authorities in the management of religious worship to counter religious radicalism, among others.