Niger

Visited: January 2013

Duration of visit: 5 days

Capital city: Niamey

Population: 18.5 million (2013)

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

• Traffic chaos on the streets, vibrant street seller’s atmosphere, friendly and welcoming locals in the capital Niamey.
• Kouré Giraffes Reserve – the last West Africa wild herd of giraffes. Tracking the tallest living terrestrial animal on a motorbike within an easily accessible national park.
• One of the poorest countries in the world: slavery still in practice, arid land that covers most of the territory, corruption and internal conflicts are some of the reason why poverty cannot be eradicated.
• Insecurity due to Touareg rebellion against government, kidnapping of tourists and foreign workers, does not make possible to travel around Niger to more remote areas.

With a land area of 1,267,000 km square kilometers, Niger is the largest country in West Africa. The country got its name from the River Niger, the third-longest river in the continent. The Niger River, unlike the Nile with its murky waters, exhibits clarity along its entire course, a result of the minimal presence of silt.

The Sahara Desert covers nearly four-fifths of Niger, making it one of the hottest countries in the world.

As a result, a nickname the Frying Pan of the World is very appropriate. Desertic, remote and unfertile lands are some of the factors that make Niger one of the poorest countries in the world.

Typically, poor Nigerois eat only one meal a day – millet patties with sauce in the evening. During the rest of the day they drink a millet porridge. If they can afford, they might have beans and rice or rice and sauce for lunch.

Surprisingly rich in wildlife, history and nature, Niger is home to the largest protected area in Africa – The Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves, which extends over 7.7 million hectares, where cheetah, oryx, and different gazelle are to be found.

Niger was part of a rather short trip, combined with Benin and Togo. None of these countries are popular tourist destinations, but especially Niger is very low on any bucket list, due to lack of attractions, instable security situation and nonexistent tourist infrastructure. With little expectation, I focused predominantly on Niamey and Kouré Giraffes Reserve.

The capital of Niger, with a population of over a million people, located on the banks of the Niger river, is well-known for traffic chaos on the streets, vibrant street seller’s atmosphere, friendly and welcoming locals, ancient mosques, palaces and bustling markets.

Diverse mix of cultures, majestic scenery and fascinating history around Niger river kept me in the city for 4 days. Given that the southern side is exclusively residential, I opted to completely avoid it altogether. I settled down in a basic hotel in the vicinity to downtown, located on the northern side of the river Niger.

I tend to avoid mediocre museum and exhibitions if they are not specifically focused on a certain topic that would be of my interest; therefore, Musée National Boubou-Hama was not on my list. T

he only landmark that justifies a visit is actually Grande Mosquée, a gift from ex-Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi in the 1970s. The most dignified structure in Niamey is not protected with high walls. Constructed from radiant adobe, the structure features a series of intricately designed archways, topped with a vibrant green dome that remains resplendent and untouched after many years of exposure to the harsh Sahelian sun and dust.

Apart from Friday prayer, it is rather empty, with a few kids around, offering tour around the place, information, explanation and conversation for a few Central African Franks (CFA).

A relaxing river cruise is an essential experience in Niamey. The river offers a tranquil escape from the bustle of the city, granting a distinct view of the shorelines. I didn’t need much time to negotiate a decent price for a simple canoe. Many tourists spend tens of dollars for motorized canoes, while I preferred a calm non-engine ride that wouldn’t necessarily take me far.

Muhammad’s canoe was unstable and water was constantly flowing in through narrow gaps in the structure of the canoe. In addition to rowing, Muhammad was also involved in removing water from the hoof. When I offered my help, a smile appeared on his face, a real relief.

The most memorable scene I recall from Niamey is the sight of local fishermen and the houses along the shore of Niger river during the late afternoon, illuminated by a stunning sunset.

Kouré Girrafes Reserve is one of the biggest success stories for conservation of animals on the vast hard-scrabble rim of the Sahara.

The Kouré Giraffes Reserve is located just over an hour’s drive from Niamey, a journey that can be conveniently undertaken via a local bus, which conveniently dropped me directly at the entrance of the park. I walked to the park gate, where a group of rangers were enjoying a midday nap. Several days had passed without any visitors arriving.

The ranger quoted me prohibitive fees to enter the park and hire an all-terrain car to approach giraffes. It was ridiculous, since I was alone. I knew there was an option to drive around on a motorbike as well, therefore I pointed to a shadow under the trees where a couple of motorbikes were parked. My French was too basic to understand all details, but they got my message. I was looking for an adventure; luxury in climatized Landcruiser was out of the question.

After half an hour of negotiation, I got a motorbike with a driver who transported me around the park. The cart path quickly transformed into a sandy strip, which became narrower every minute, until it disappeared completely in some sections. The driver never adjusted the speed to the deteriorating surface conditions.

A helmet was not part of the provided equipment for none of us. I had no choice but to hold on to the iron structure below my seat and squeeze myself close to the driver in order to make it as easy as possible for him to control the balance.

20 minutes later minutes we saw the movement of heads on the tips of long necks in the distance. An elegant, slow walk that kept the giraffes away from our motorbike forced us to stop. The motorist parked his motorcycle in the shade of a mighty tree and told me to follow the giraffes by myself, if I wanted to. After he had comfortably reclined on the seat, it was clear that he needed a rest.

I approached the giraffes to a safe distance, trying to avoid scaring them.

These animals are so elegant! They never make jerky movements, but calmly and harmoniously search for leaves in the crowns of the trees. The groups of giraffes were small, including one baby. The only giraffe in West Africa differs from other species by a slightly smaller size and much lighter coloration. There are about 300 giraffes in the reserve and, surprisingly, the number has been constantly growing since 1996, when only 50 giraffes were counted.

Watching giraffes, hidden behind a tree and slowly following them walking, is a completely different feeling than in the comfortable shelter of an off-road vehicle.

Apparently due to the constant positive interaction between giraffes and human beings, in Kouré Reserve the confidence has been achieved and human visitors can approach the animals much closer than in other national parks around Africa!

On the way back, we stopped in a remote village where people live in primitive huts that are raised on strong wooden sticks to avoid flooding in the rainy season. The village seemed abandoned, but in a couple of minutes, many children and women approached and surrounded me in disbelief. With the help of my driver, we exchanged some basic phrases, kicked an improvised ball and exchanged the names of the best soccer players in the world.

One of the world’s poorest nations, with political instability, torn between military juntas, tribal leaders and terrorist groups, Niger has never been a safe country to visit. It is hard to get reliable information, plan the trip properly and explore the most remote, unique and beautiful parts of it.

From its own dinosaur to the tallest mud-brick minaret in the world in the historic heart of Agadez, Niger is an impressive destination in theory. In practice due to security reasons, extremely expensive individual logistic, private transport and lack of tourist culture, the possibilities are very limited.

For security reasons, my primary focus was directed towards the capital city of Niamey and the Kouré National Park. Agadez and especially Zinder were too complicated to access, but they should not be missed when safety and accessibility are reasonable.

There are other priorities in a country where, in average, 8 children are born per women.

Niger boasts the highest birth rate in the world, while on the other side, child mortality rate fell from 334 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1971 to 90 deaths in 2013.

There is currently no sign that the poverty might reduce in the near future, especially if the climate change, combined with insecurity, lack of education and marginalization of women, continue.