Niger, unfortunately, is one of the poorest countries in the world ranking as one of the last in the human development index. There are also two ongoing conflicts, namely Insurgency in the Maghreb and Boko Haram insurgency which both claimed many victims.

Traveling info

All visitors traveling to Niger are required to have a valid passport. Entry requirements vary depending on visitors nationality. Citizens of some western African nations may enter Niger by obtaining a visa on arrival. Citizens of all other nations are required to obtain a visa prior to their departure. Visitors who wish to drive in Niger must have their national driving permit and an international driving permit in order to legally drive. IDP cannot be used alone and must always be complemented by the original driving permit. IDP is only a translation of the original document.

Traveling hazards

Road safety throughout Niger is a concern, and visitors are strongly urged to avoid driving at night outside of major cities. The public transportation system, urban and rural road conditions, and the availability of roadside assistance are all poor. The main causes of accidents are driver carelessness, excessive speed, poorly maintained vehicles, and poor to non-existent road surfaces. Other factors include the hazardous mix of bicycles, mopeds, unwary pedestrians, donkey carts, animals such as cattle, goats, and camels, and buses on roads that are generally unpaved and poorly lit. Overloaded tractor trailers, bush taxis, and disabled vehicles are additional dangers on rural roads, where speeds are generally higher. Travel outside Niamey and other cities often require four-wheel drive vehicles, which creates an additional security risk, since these vehicles, especially Toyota Land Cruisers, are high theft items. Driving at night is always hazardous and should be avoided. Banditry is a continuing problem in northern and eastern Niger, as well as along the border with Mali. There have been occasional carjackings and highway robberies throughout the country.

Environmental hazards

Niger is a vast country. The vast portion of it is located in the Sahara desert making life up north rather scarce due to the hostile environment. Most people and animals inhabit the southern part of the country. Largest land animals on earth roam the savannah of Niger. African bush elephants are rather not aggressive however their sheer size makes them dangerous. If angered or startled, they are easily capable of trampling people, flipping over cars or even breaking trees. Hippopotamuses are also present in Niger. These are second in size only to elephants. Hippopotamuses inhabit the freshwaters of Niger and are fiercely territorial. They will attack anyone who approaches them. West African crocodiles inhabit the freshwaters of niger however these crocodiles are considerably less aggressive than their Nile crocodile cousins. They are still capable of attacking. There are several species of lethally venomous snakes in Niger including the puff adder which alone is responsible for over 30 thousand deaths yearly, gaboon viper, west African carpet viper and the black neck spitting cobra.
Niger suffers mainly from two types of natural hazards. These are wildfires and floods. Both are responsible for economic damage and claiming lives however floods happen considerably more often and are responsible for a much larger part of all the damage.

Health hazards

The government of Niger requires proof of yellow fever vaccination for all travelers, except infants. There are also several recommended vaccines. These are the routine vaccine aka MMR vaccines, typhoid, hepatitis A and B, meningitis and rabies vaccines. There is an outbreak of polio in the country, therefore, every visitor is strongly recommended to get a polio vaccine. Malaria and Zika are present in Niger. Both diseases are carried by mosquitoes and there are no approved vaccines against either. Since both are transmitted through mosquito bites, it is recommended to use mosquito repellents and mosquito nets. There is also medicine on prescription against malaria which should be available to anyone after consulting their local general practitioner. Due to insufficient funding, Niger is not able to provide adequate health care resources to meet the needs of its population. Niger has one of the lowest doctors to patient ratios worldwide. With shortages of health care staff, medical equipment, and basic medications, more than half of Niger’s population has limited access to health care services. Medical care in Niger is provided largely by charitable, religious and nongovernment organizations. International health care aides work within Niger’s government facilities and in support of health care projects that are administered in urban and rural communities. Government hospitals are predominantly located in the capital Niamey, as well as Maradi, Zinder, and Tahoua; with medical centers located in smaller towns. Government hospitals and clinics within Niamey include the National Hospital, Hospital Nacional De Lamorde, Clinique Jean Kaba, and Clinique du Plateau, where basic primary health care services can be received. There are no adequate emergency services in Niger and the country lacks basic medical equipment and medications. As such, emergency evacuation to a hospital overseas, such as Morocco, will be required to receive the appropriate level of medical care. The cost of air transportation is highly expensive and can cost more than USD$50,000. As such, expats in Niger are highly recommended to obtain a Niger international health insurance plan which includes coverage for emergency evacuation and repatriation, as well as coverage for medical expenses within Niger and overseas.
In case of an emergency dial 15.

Crime

Crime occurs at all hours in Niger. Nonviolent crimes such as pickpocketing, purse snatching, backpack, and cell phone theft are present in major cities, notably in around places where Westerners gather. Within Niamey, the Night Market should be avoided, as criminals loiter in the area. The area is notorious for pickpocketing, purse snatching, mugging, and assaults. Other markets, the area around the Gaweye and Grand Hotels, National Museum, and Kennedy Bridge are also high-risk areas. Violent crimes such as muggings and assaults are not as common as nonviolent crimes and are typically committed after dark. Assailants may be aggressive and display a weapon during a robbery, knives are most frequently employed, as some Nigeriens carry knives or machetes as part of their normal dress. Vehicle thefts are prevalent in Niamey, however, incidents have decreased since the 2016 arrests of a Nigerien/Nigerian theft ring. Most carjackings reported to police occur along Niger’s southern border. Loosely organized criminal elements operate in Niger. Niger has long been a transit route for smugglers. In northern Niger, within the Sahara Desert, the semi-nomadic, pastoral Tuareg ethnic group has long facilitated cross-border licit and illicit trade, including the smuggling of contraband such weapons, illegal drugs, fuel, vehicles, humans, cigarettes. Along the border with Nigeria, criminal elements smuggle everything from fuel to rice to automobiles. Smuggling is often done in caravans of trucks through the desert. The criminalization of migrant transport has driven the business underground, encouraging more violent practitioners willing and able to take greater risks and feeding the traffic of drugs and weapons. Niger is confronting a number of major security threats, including increasing criminal and terrorist activity in its Tillaberi and Tahoua regions that border Mali, spillover terrorist activity from Nigeria from Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa in the Diffa region, threats from ISIS elements from Libya, and growing regional instability in the Sahel. In addition, Niger Agadez region is a major corridor for the illicit trafficking of goods, weapons, and people between Europe, North Africa, and West Africa, criminal elements, armed groups, and terrorists are known to operate in this area.

Summary

Niger is rather unpopular with tourists from outside of Africa. This is principally caused due to the widespread poverty in the region and the spillover of terrorist activity from the surrounding countries like Mali and Libya. Remember that planning your trip with Travset.com will give you the quickest information about nearest emergency services and will also help you purchase indispensable travel insurance for the trip of your lifetime. Please feel free to comment and share the experiences of your travels with Travset.com.

Sources

(Visa)
https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/africa/niger/passport-visa/
(Vaccinations)
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/niger