In an interview with French Magazine Le Point, President Issoufou described Niger’s demography as a ticking bomb.

“We have a growth rate of 4% per annum, and a fecundity rate or 7 children per woman. In addition, when asking women about how many kids they want, they respond nine, while men say eleven. So the average number of kids desired exceeds the rate of fecundity. It’s a great challenge which we must tackle,” he said.

The Head of State believes the answer to this is education, especially that of girls. “Youth is our door out, if we are able to educate it, and provide it jobs. It’s a key factor to developing Niger’s economy,” he said.

In this context, Mr. Issoufou regrets that education given Niger’s youth does not match the country’s actual needs which lie within technical professions and specializations.