 62 years (women) President: Mohamed Bazoum Image source, ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP via Getty Images) Former interior minister Mohamed Bazoum was sworn in as president in April 2021, in Niger's first democratic transfer of power since independence in 1960. His most immediate priority is the deadly jihadist insurgency causing chaos in parts of the country and across the broader Sahel region. He has also made tackling corruption in the country a goal of his presidency. Image source, Getty Images Niger's underdeveloped media sector reflects the country's poverty and low levels of literacy, which constrain media development and limit public access to some platforms and outlets. The threat from jihadists is a further challenge to the media sector and those who work in it. Radio is a key news source and local privately-owned stations operate alongside the national state broadcaster. Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Niger's 16th Century Agadez mosque is the world's tallest mud-brick structure Some key events in Niger's history: 5th Century BC - region becomes an area of trans-Saharan trade. Led by Tuareg tribes from the north. c. 300AD-1200s - Much of the region is part of the Ghana Empire, one of several major West Af){kind=link}
A vast, arid state on the edge of the Sahara desert, Niger has seen a series of coups and political instability in the decades following independence from France in 1960.
Today the country struggles with frequent droughts and poverty.
Continuing threats to Niger’s security stem from the fallout from the Libyan civil war, conflict in northern Mali, and several jihadist insurgencies in the region.
French and US forces are assisting Niger in countering these threats.
Niger is betting on increased oil exploration and gold mining to help modernise its economy.