Niger to split into 19 regions in security drive against jihadists

The administration led by General Abdourahamane Tiani is advancing a sweeping reform of Niger’s administrative map, designed to tighten state control over areas threatened by armed Islamist factions. The Interior Ministry recently unveiled plans to increase the number of regions from eight to nineteen and departments from sixty-three to eighty-two. The proposal was outlined to members of the National Advisory Council for Refoundation by Abdoulkader Hama, Director-General of Territorial Administration, reflecting President Tiani’s broader strategy to rebuild state authority across the country.

Breaking up large regions to strengthen security

The draft reform involves dividing major regions into smaller entities. Maradi, Zinder, and Tahoua would each be split into three; Tillabéri, Agadez, and Diffa would be halved. Niamey would be restructured into two separate departments. The number of municipalities would also rise to 255, bringing public services closer to rural communities where state presence has traditionally been weak. The government argues that this denser administrative grid will make it easier to deploy defense and security forces in high-risk zones along the triple border with Burkina Faso and Mali, as well as around Lake Chad, where factions linked to Islamic State and Boko Haram remain active.

Early opposition from local leaders

Not everyone supports the plan. In the east, residents of Nguigmi have criticized the proposed creation of a new region called Komadougou, centered on Diffa, arguing that the name does not reflect the Lake Chad reality and that their own department has been overlooked. In the west, communities in Say warn that the new setup could push some villages farther from their regional headquarters, contradicting the government’s stated goal of bringing administration closer to the people. While the Interior Ministry has not released a detailed budget, the reform remains a draft subject to further review by the advisory council before final approval by transition authorities.