Niger

Niger’s land governance connects farming, pastoral mobility, customary rights and state administration across a predominantly arid and semi-arid landscape. Cultivated land is concentrated in the south and along river valleys, while pastoral livelihoods depend on seasonal access to grazing, water and routes across administrative and national boundaries. Multiple users can hold different rights to the same landscape.

Conflict, displacement, drought and flooding have made it harder to exercise those rights. A new national land ordinance, No. 2026-24, was signed in April 2026. Its relationship with specialized land and resource laws and its implementing measures are important for local administration.

Customary institutions, Islamic law and state legislation have long influenced land access. Colonial and post-independence administrations introduced registration and public land rules alongside local practices. Recurrent drought, population growth, expansion of cultivation and migration have changed the balance between farms and grazing areas.

The 1993 Rural Code established an influential framework for recognizing rights and organizing local land commissions. The 2010 pastoral ordinance addressed mobility and pastoral resources. The 2026 national ordinance introduces a new overarching framework; its final article repeals earlier provisions that conflict with it, while specialized regimes remain relevant.

The signed Ordinance No. 2026-24 of April 22, 2026 concerns the national land regime. Its final provisions provide for implementing arrangements by decree and repeal conflicting earlier provisions. The government’s account of the draft described recognition of written and customary rights and separate rules for urban, pastoral, forest, mining and agricultural domains.

The 2010 pastoral ordinance recognizes mobility as a fundamental right and regulates access to pastoral resources. Its application must be read with the 2026 ordinance and applicable implementing rules. Land commissions, customary authorities, local governments and state services have different responsibilities.

Land access may be based on customary inheritance, clearing and cultivation, family allocation, purchase, loan or lease, as well as formal registration and state allocation. The content of a customary right varies by place and by the history of the holding. Documentation can strengthen evidence, but a document’s value depends on the process used to establish it and the recognition of other users.

Pastures, corridors and water points often support shared or seasonal use rather than exclusive occupation. Public land and natural-resource regimes can overlap with locally recognized rights. Treating an apparently uncultivated area as unused risks overlooking grazing, fallow, gathering and seasonal access.

Village chiefs, customary authorities and land commissions can help identify rights and mediate disputes. The Rural Code’s local institutions developed procedures for documenting transactions and recognizing customary rights. Their reach and capacity vary, and the new national framework may require administrative adjustments.

Community land use is not uniform: a household field may sit within a broader system of grazing, water access and shared paths. Public notice and field inquiries should include women, tenants, migrants and mobile herders. The ability to object and obtain impartial review matters when customary rights are formalized or land is allocated.

The 2010 pastoral ordinance recognizes pastoral mobility and provides that certain public pastoral spaces may not be exclusively appropriated in ways that obstruct movement and access. It also provides for representation of pastoralists in resource-management bodies and reserves passage in developed areas.

In practice, cultivation, fencing, poorly placed infrastructure, insecurity and border restrictions can block corridors or water points. Seasonal mobility helps herders manage variable rainfall, but livestock concentrations in safer areas can intensify pressure on forage. Mapping routes and negotiating access with both farmers and herders can reduce conflict when agreements are enforced.

Women cultivate fields, manage livestock and collect water and forest products, but their access may depend on husbands, fathers or other relatives. Inheritance rules and local practice differ by community; women may receive smaller or less secure plots, lose access after divorce or widowhood, or lack the resources to document a claim.

The government described non-discrimination in access to land as an objective of its 2026 ordinance. Legal recognition needs to be accompanied by accessible information, representation in local institutions and protection against coercion. Women should participate directly in decisions over land, water, compensation and restoration benefits.

Local land commissions, state land services and customary authorities have historically documented rural transactions, boundaries and rights. The government’s April 2026 statement described plans to decentralize land-conservation offices and use public inquiries for customary-rights confirmation.

Accurate maps and registers can help prevent conflicting allocations, but fixed parcel records do not fully capture seasonal corridors, fallows or shared water points. Public notice, local participation, accessible appeals and ongoing updating are needed. Displaced people must be able to preserve evidence and assert claims without returning to an unsafe area.

Insecurity in Tillabéri, Diffa and other areas has restricted access to fields, markets, pasture and water. Attacks, theft and displacement can cause loss of livestock and land-based income. Host communities also face pressure on services and resources, while displaced people may cultivate or graze under temporary agreements.

The FAO August 2026 brief reported more than 548,000 internally displaced people as of July 2026 and described severe food insecurity in conflict-affected regions. These figures are time-specific. Durable solutions require safety, voluntary choice and recognition of rights in places of origin and displacement.

Niamey and other towns face pressure from population growth, migration, subdivision and demand for affordable housing. Informal occupation, contested boundaries and incomplete records can expose households to eviction or loss of investment. Flooding can damage homes and services in low-lying settlements.

Urban planning must connect land allocation with roads, drainage, water and public services. Transparent subdivision and acquisition procedures, clear fees and opportunities to challenge decisions can reduce conflict. Tenants and other occupants need attention alongside formal landholders.

Smallholders grow millet, sorghum, cowpeas and other crops, often combining cultivation with livestock. Rainfall, soil fertility, access to land and markets determine production. Fallow periods and access to manure can be important for soil management, but land pressure can shorten fallows and restrict grazing.

The FAO August 2026 assessment described a generally favorable start to the season but also localized dryness and continuing insecurity. A good early start is not a completed harvest, and conditions differ across regions. Secure access, extension services and functioning markets are necessary for households to benefit from production.

The Niger River, Lake Chad basin, seasonal watercourses and groundwater support cultivation, herding, fishing and household use. Access varies by season and place. Wells and water points are especially important in pastoral areas, where control over a water source can shape access to surrounding pasture.

Infrastructure can reduce vulnerability, but poorly located wells or irrigation projects can concentrate livestock, block corridors or create disputes. Transparent management, maintenance and participation by women, farmers and herders are essential. Transboundary cooperation matters for shared rivers and aquifers.

Trees on farms and rangelands provide shade, fodder, fuel, soil protection and income. Farmer-managed natural regeneration protects and manages trees that regrow from existing roots and seed rather than relying solely on new planting. Whether farmers can use and benefit from trees affects their incentive to protect them.

The World Bank’s 2025 account of restoration in Tahoua reports project-supported land management and assisted regeneration. These are project results for specified areas, not a measure of nationwide restoration. Community rights, fair benefit sharing and maintenance matter for lasting outcomes.

Drought, floods, heat and rainfall variability affect crops, pasture and water. Adaptation includes restoring degraded land, supporting mobility, improving water management and protecting livelihoods during shocks. Insecurity can prevent households from reaching resources or using adaptation measures even where rainfall is favorable.

Niger submitted its third nationally determined contribution in September 2026. Climate targets and proposed carbon projects differ from verified reductions. Agreements should clarify land and tree rights, access restrictions, participation and benefit sharing for local users.

Uranium, oil, gold and other minerals affect national revenue, investment and land use. Extraction can alter access to pasture and water, generate waste and require infrastructure or settlement changes. The legal right to extract minerals and the rights of surface users are separate questions that require coordination.

The government reported in August 2026 that SOMAÏR had been nationalized and a successor company created, while describing proposed permit decisions. Projected revenues and employment are not established outcomes. Transparent agreements, environmental monitoring, compensation and remedies matter for affected communities.

Land, irrigation, mining and infrastructure decisions involve national authorities, local institutions and communities with unequal bargaining power. The 2023 coup and subsequent transition changed the institutional context. Scarce resources and insecure areas make transparent allocation and reliable dispute resolution especially important.

Investment assessment should identify customary and documented interests, seasonal users, water demands and environmental impacts. Land that appears unused at one time may support grazing or cultivation in another season. Public information, genuine participation and independent avenues for complaints can reduce the risk of dispossession.

Priorities include implementing the 2026 land framework consistently, protecting customary rights and pastoral mobility, and ensuring that women and displaced people can document and exercise their rights. Land commissions and local institutions need resources and accessible procedures.

Coordination among land, water, agriculture, pastoral and mining authorities is essential. Safe access to fields and pastures, fair dispute resolution and sustainable restoration support both livelihoods and resilience.

Land and pastoral law

• Ordinance No. 2026-24 on the national land regime, Republic of Niger.
• Council of Ministers statement, April 2026.
• Ordinance No. 2010-29 on pastoralism, Rural Code portal.

Livelihoods and climate

• Niger country brief, FAO, August 2026.
• Restoring land and livelihoods in Tahoua, World Bank, 2025.
• Niger nationally determined contributions, UNFCCC.

Extractives

• Council of Ministers decisions on mining, August 2026.

October 2026: Profile updated for the 2026 national land ordinance, pastoral mobility, displacement, restoration, mining and climate.

Confidence: High for the signed 2026 ordinance and the cited pastoral provisions; moderate for local implementation and the application of new implementing measures, which may vary by place.