Niger’s General Tiani Replaces Elected Councils with Appointed Administrators

NIAMEY — In a significant shift in Niger’s governance structure, General Abdourahamane Tiani, the President of Niger, has taken a bold step by replacing elected officials with appointed administrators across various levels of local government. This move sees the appointment of 105 delegated administrators to lead the communes and communal councils following the dissolution of previously elected municipal, town, and regional councils.

According to Burkina Information Agency, this major administrative overhaul was executed on Thursday, April 4, 2024, when General Tiani, who also serves as the President of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP), issued orders to appoint these new officials. The country, divided into 36 departments and home to 52 urban communes, 213 rural communes, and 4 urban communities, has traditionally relied on elected local executives to foster grassroots development and uphold democratic values of political responsibility and citizen engagement.

This action in Niger echoes a similar approach taken by Burkina Faso in February 2022, where elected municipal and regional councils were disbanded and replaced with special delegations, marking a trend in the region towards more centralized administrative control.