Missionaries and Niger

Christian missionaries first encountered Niger in the seventh century, when Berber Christians migrated from North Africa due to emerging Islam in the nation. The group was isolated and eventually disappeared, leaving no Christian influences in the nation until the 1900s. In the early 1900s, Protestant missionaries first arrived. In 1929, African Christian Missions, a Baptist organization now known as Evangelical Baptist Mission, began mission work. Today, their churches have about 700 members. In the 1930s, Roman Catholicism spread from Benin into Niger.[1]

Today, Christian missionary organizations still have had a substantial impact on the nation. Organizations including SIM, Christian Aid, Assemblies of God, Fellowship of Independent Missions, YWAM, and World Vision are currently serving the people of Niger. SIM (originally named for "Soudan Interior Mission") is an evangelical Christian mission organization that has planted numerous churches in Niger. These organizations are continuing to plant churches and build Christian communities, but they face significant pressure from the Islamic influence in the region.

            Islam spread to Niger as early as the 15^th century, due to the expansion of the Songhai Empire and the Trans-Saharan trade from Egypt. The Niger River became a center for Sufi religion instruction and legal interpretation in the 1800s, and this had significant influence on Niger. Teachers slowly gained converts in the region, and approximately 94% of Niger is Muslim. [2]

Additionally, radical expressions of Islam have influenced the region and prevented Christian church growth. In January of 2015, the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, though based in Nigeria, began making threats to churches in Niger. They threatened to burn down churches and took credit for recent deaths due to protest in the capital of Niamey.[3]

These missionary influences certainly affected the religious makeup of Niger – very little expressions of traditional tribal religions are practiced today. Additionally, the expression of different religions in the nation has elicited a surprisingly little amount of conflict, and the political and cultural norm of the nation is one of religious tolerance.

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[1] “Niger,” SIM, last modified 2016, accessed February 24, 2016, http://www.sim.org/index.php/country/NE.

[2] James Decalo, Historical Dictionary of Niger (London: Scarecrow Press, 1979): 156.

[3] Catholic News Agency, “Boko Haram behind attacks on churches in Niger, says Catholic missionary,” The Washington Times, last modified January 30, 2015, accessed February 24, 2016, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/30/missionary-boko-haram-behind-attacks-on-churches-r/?page=all.

Bibliography

“Niger.” SIM. Last modified 2016. Accessed February 24, 2016. http://www.sim.org/index.php/country/NE.

Decalo, James. Historical Dictionary of Niger. London: Scarecrow Press, 1979.

Catholic News Agency. “Boko Haram behind attacks on churches in Niger, says Catholic missionary.” The Washington Times. Last modified January 30, 2015. Accessed February 24, 2016. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/30/missionary-boko-haram-behind-attacks-on-churches-r/?page=all.

Niger and "First Contacts"

The earliest people inhabiting Niger were farmers, but as desertification took hold of the region, the inhabitants became nomadic. In the 13^th century, the Tuareg ruled over northern Niger, and in the mid-1500s, a great African empire called the Songhai expanded into Niger. The first contact Niger had with Europe came in the 19^th century.[1] Early explorers were following the Niger River and came into contact with the region that is now known as Niger. Nearby Nigeria had already been colonized by the British, but different people groups in Niger resisted European rule.

Finally, in 1922, Niger was conquered by France and became a colony of the French empire.[2] The reason for this intrusion was two-fold: European powers were fighting for resources, but they were also fighting for capturing a larger empire than their competitors. This “race” to colonization caused many European powers to colonize regions for more than the exploitation of their natural resources. Niger was one of the last African regions to be colonized, but French control remained for quite some time, due to the resources Niger offered. As the race towards nuclear technology intensified during the period between WWI and WWII, the uranium reserves Niger possessed became valuable to the French.

Niger, besides being among the last to be colonized, was also one of the first to gain independence. Niger gained independence from France in August of 1960.[3] The colonial rule caused deleterious effects on the nation even after it ended – the power vacuum left from colonial rule was easily filled by “brutal military rule for the next 30 years until 1991.”[4]

While the French colonization was a significant “contact” point for the nation, the spread of Islam also represented a contact point with other cultures. As early as the eight century A.D., Islam was spreading through trade routes and explorers to West Africa.[5] This mix of influences – French colonial rule and Islamic religious and cultural traditions – has shaped Niger into the country it is today.

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[1] “Niger – History and Culture,” iExplore, accessed February 15, 2016, http://www.iexplore.com/articles/travel-guides/africa/niger/history-and-culture, 4.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid., 5.

[4] Ibid., 6.

[5] “The Spread of Islam in West Africa: Containment, Mixing, and Reform from the Eighth to the Twentieth Century,” Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education, last modified January 2009, accessed January 15, 2016, http://spice.fsi.stanford.edu/docs/the_spread_of_islam_in_west_africa_containment_mixing_and_reform_from_the_eighth_to_the_twentieth_century, 1. 

Bibliography

“Niger – History and Culture.” iExplor., Accessed February 15, 2016. http://www.iexplore.com/articles/travel-guides/africa/niger/history-and-culture.

“The Spread of Islam in West Africa: Containment, Mixing, and Reform from the Eighth to the Twentieth Century.” Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education. Last modified January 2009. Accessed January 15, 2016. http://spice.fsi.stanford.edu/docs/the_spread_of_islam_in_west_africa_containment_mixing_and_reform_from_the_eighth_to_the_twentieth_century.

Natural Resources in Niger

Natural resources are an important part of the history and development of regions. They determine the sectors that dominate the economy, the livelihoods of local people, and can often influence social and political factors.

The landscape of Niger is varied – there is some arable land that is irrigated and used as pasture, there are forests and woodland as well.

An important natural resource for Niger is uranium, but the region also possesses deposits of coal, tin, phosphates, and iron ore.[1] After Niger gained independence from France in 1958, the exporting of uranium ore was a significant factor in the economic boom that allowed political changes. The first military rule of the nation was bolstered by the economic boom that political changes and uranium ore facilitated. However, a worldwide drop in uranium demand has caused the nation’s economy to suffer since then.

The exporting of oil has also significantly impacted the political system and economy of Niger. The discovery of the Tintouma oil field in Madama in 1975 attracted attention to the region.

The use of natural resources in an under-developed nation can produce some negative consequences. In Niger, overgrazing, deforestation, soil erosion, and desertification are all problems[2] when the land’s natural resources are used without guidelines for conservation. Poaching of endangered wildlife populations also poses a risk to the region’s ecological balance and environmental conditions.[3]

            Additionally, the deeply entrenched poverty in the region makes development of natural resources difficult, and if they are developed, it is often done in ways that profit international companies, rather than local people. The lack of diversification in the economy, which is based almost solely on the exporting of a few natural resources (uranium makes up 79% of national export proceeds)[4] also makes development difficult.

            Niger is a nation with many natural resource deposits, but its lack of infrastructure, diversification, and development make the effective use of these resources difficult.

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[1] “The Mineral Industry of  Other Countries of Africa,” United States Geological Survey, last modified 1994, accessed February 10, 2016, http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/1994/9247094.pdf.

[2] “Niger,” African Wildlife Foundation, last modified 2015, accessed February 10, 2016, http://www.awf.org/country/niger.

[3] Ibid.

[4] “The Mineral Industry of  Other Countries of Africa,” United States Geological Survey.

Bibliography

“The Mineral Industry of  Other Countries of Africa.” United States Geological Survey. Last modified 1994. Accessed February 10, 2016. http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/1994/9247094.pdf.

“Niger.” African Wildlife Foundation. Last modified 2015. Accessed February 10, 2016. http://www.awf.org/country/niger.

Religion in Niger

Niger is a predominantly Muslim nation. Islam is the most significant religion, making up 94% of the population. Most Muslims are Sunni Muslims, with a small population of Shia Muslims making up 7% of the total populations.

Islam has significantly impacted the country – even in regions and among peoples that practice traditional religions, they often do so within a framework of Islamic belief, taking elements of the traditional religion and making it fit within Islamic beliefs.

Islam has been present in the region for a millennium, but has only gained such predominance in recent centuries. While there are differing beliefs within the Muslims in Niger, they have largely coexisted peacefully.

Christianity has also influenced Niger. When the French colonized Niger, they brought it along with cultural practices and education. Today, Christians account for less than 1% of the population, and they live primarily in the larger urban areas. Christian missions organizations work throughout the country.

The Bahá’i Faith has also grown in the region, particularly during the drawdown of the colonial period. In the 1960’s and 70’s, Bahá’i organizations thrived, until the oppressing of them in the later ‘70s. Since it’s reemergence in the early ‘90s, the assembly has grown.

Not many traditional faiths thrive in Niger today, although their past included many different people groups and religions.

People groups that relied upon the Niger River, including the Bozo or Sorko, have unique origin myths. These people groups and their religions are not bound by national boundaries that exist today, so it’s difficult to know what exact influences exist in Niger today. The story of Musa Nyame and the Hira tells the story of a young ruler who learned the magic and knowledge of the forest, and defeated a magical creature with his soon-to-be wife.[1] The story tells the origins of the hunters in the region and the existence of many kinds of animals. Other origin stories from the surrounding region include the story of Ale, the mother of the earth. The story explains how she gave her body to create the earth and the animals that thrive in it.[2]

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[1] African Myths of Origin (London: Penguin Books, 2005), 21.

[2] Ibid., 286.

Bibliography

African Myths of Origin. London: Penguin Books, 2005.