Poverty and a lack of opportunities, young people in Niger refuse to give up.

In mid-June, the bodies of 34 migrants were found in the Niger desert, 20 of them were children. They had been abandoned by smugglers.


On June 3, Boko Haram carried out an attack in the Diffa region of eastern Niger. More than 30 soldiers were killed, and around 50,000 people were forced to flee.

The people of Niger, a landlocked country almost entirely covered by the Sahara Desert, face unemployment, the threat of armed groups, hunger, poverty and drought. Niger is one of the world's poorest countries and one with the highest percentage of people under the age of 20.

Yet, hope remains for many young Nigeriens who are most affected by the country's lack of opportunities.
In March 2016, we sat down with three young people in Niamey, the capital of Niger, to find out what they want to accomplish and what the dangers are as they try to build a future in an uncertain environment.

In a Niamey neighbourhood, we meet Abdel Nasser Boubacar who has built a spontaneous group known as "fadas" where young men meet, help each other and spread information about job opportunities.

Boubacar's fada "Business Centre" is also about providing security for the rest of the neighbourhood. They meet outdoors in the same place each day and keep an eye on the goings-on.

We also meet 21-year-old Rachida Abdourahamane who had to leave her parents' home and come to the city so she could study at university. She shares a room with her cousins and is involved in community work.

She counts herself lucky that her family supports her ambitions to study and succeed, but she is very concerned about the lack of opportunities for young people in Niger.