• Niger and Saudi Arabia opened bilateral talks on strengthened employment cooperation during the ILO Board session in Geneva.

• Niger faces structural labour-market weaknesses despite a large working-age population and rising youth job demand.

• Both countries already share a cooperation history, including a 2015 labour-placement bureau for Nigerien workers in Saudi Arabia.

Niger continues to rely on international partnerships to train its young population, create sustainable jobs and reinforce human capital as the country seeks to sustain economic growth.

Niger’s Minister of Public Service, Labour and Employment Aïssatou Abdoulaye Tondi met Saudi Deputy Minister for International Affairs Tariq Al Hamad on the sidelines of the 355th session of the International Labour Organization’s Governing Body, held from 17 to 27 November in Geneva. The Ministry of Public Service of Niger published the information on its Facebook page on Thursday, 20 November.

Officials have not yet released details about the content of the talks. However, both countries already share a cooperation history, notably through the 2015 launch of the Nigerien Labour Placement Office, which aimed to place non-graduate Nigerien workers in various jobs in Saudi Arabia. This background provides a base for expanded collaboration.

The meeting comes as Niger confronts a dual challenge. A 2025 report by the Pan-African Coalition for Transformation (PACT) states that nearly half of Niger’s population is of working age, which it calls a significant demographic asset. However, the Danish Trade Union Development Agency (DTDA) notes that informality and low productivity still dominate the labour market, limiting access to stable and skilled jobs.

The official youth unemployment rate for 15–24-year-olds stood at 0.30% in 2024 according to Macrotrends data, yet the figure poorly reflects underlying realities.
 The rate hides significant underemployment, particularly in agriculture and informal jobs. The National Employment Promotion Agency (ANPE) registered 51,847 young job seekers in 2023, a 6% increase compared with 2022, which highlights ongoing gaps between training, aspirations and professional opportunities.

This article was initially published in English by Félicien Houindo Lokossou

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum