Infrastructure and access
- Mobile / Wireless Infrastructure3
- Backbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile Infrastructure2
- Fiber / Fixed Broadband Infrastructure2
- Data Center / Cloud Infrastructure1
- Institutional / School Connectivity Infrastructure1
Digital Divide Country Profile · Africa
NE
Niger
Closing the digital divide, expanding meaningful connectivity, and advancing digital education and workforce participation.
Location in the world
Niger
Africa
Niger🇳🇪
- Population (2024)
- 27,032,412
- Total area
- 1,267,000 km²
- Area in square miles
- 489,191.23 mi²
- Coastline
- Landlocked · 0 km
National digital inclusion context
A portfolio-based view of access, capability, and outcomes.
This profile organizes the initiatives directly connected to Niger in the global research inventory. It follows the study's country-profile framework: national context, broadband infrastructure, inclusion practices, education and workforce connections, implementation actors, and intended contribution.
The documented portfolio emphasizes Mobile / Wireless Infrastructure, Backbone / Backhaul / Middle-Mile Infrastructure, Fiber / Fixed Broadband Infrastructure, Fiber/Fiber Optic, Data Center/Centre. The profile treats infrastructure, affordability, capability, institutions, support, and outcomes as an interconnected system.
Portfolio pattern
What the documented response contains.
Counts reflect source-workbook tags. One initiative may appear in multiple infrastructure or technology categories.
Specific technologies
- Fiber/Fiber Optic2
- Data Center/Centre1
Intervention classification
- Infrastructure only4
- Neither explicitly identified4
- Infrastructure and Specific Technology2
Education and workforce
Connectivity becomes consequential through participation.
3 initiatives explicitly connect to education, K–12, or college/university contexts, and 1 connect to workforce development. Other investments may enable these outcomes indirectly.
Networks, service availability, devices, and connection quality.
Skills, confidence, accessibility, navigation, and support.
Education, work, health, government, and civic opportunity.
Governance, operations, maintenance, funding, and learning.
Project and initiative portfolio
10 documented records
Every directly tagged record is shown with details and supporting URLs preserved from the research workbook.
01School/community broadband
Connect a School, Connect a Community - Niger
Implemented as part of regional project · Selected rural/underserved schools and communitiesView details
School/community broadband
Connect a School, Connect a Community - Niger
Implemented as part of regional project · Selected rural/underserved schools and communitiesStatus / periodImplemented as part of regional projectLocationSelected rural/underserved schools and communitiesPopulationStudents, teachers, rural residents, women, older persons and persons with disabilitiesOrganizationsITU; national government partners
Uses schools as broadband-connected community ICT centres to extend access beyond the classroom.
Activities and approach: School broadband; community ICT centres; devices; training.
EducationK–12
02Wireless broadband enabling environment
ITU Africa Spectrum Management and Broadband Enabling Project (beneficiary: Niger)
Implemented 2018-2025 · National / regionalView details
Wireless broadband enabling environment
ITU Africa Spectrum Management and Broadband Enabling Project (beneficiary: Niger)
Implemented 2018-2025 · National / regionalStatus / periodImplemented 2018-2025LocationNational / regionalPopulationMobile broadband users, operators and underserved areasOrganizationsInternational Telecommunication Union; African beneficiary governments
Supports harmonized spectrum management to make wireless broadband rollout more cost-effective and sustainable.
Activities and approach: Spectrum licensing; pricing; refarming; cross-border frequency coordination.
03Community digital/financial access
Smart Villages – 150 Digital Financial Service Centres
2020–ongoing · Selected rural villagesView details
Community digital/financial access
Smart Villages – 150 Digital Financial Service Centres
2020–ongoing · Selected rural villagesStatus / period2020–ongoingLocationSelected rural villagesPopulationRural users without banking accessOrganizationsGovernment of Niger; World Bank
Creates one-stop centres for remittances, cash-in/cash-out and digital services.
Activities and approach: Digital centres; financial services
04Digital agriculture/finance
Smart Villages – Farmers' Cooperative Digital Payment Devices
2020–ongoing · Agricultural cooperativesView details
Digital agriculture/finance
Smart Villages – Farmers' Cooperative Digital Payment Devices
2020–ongoing · Agricultural cooperativesStatus / period2020–ongoingLocationAgricultural cooperativesPopulationFarmersOrganizationsGovernment of Niger; World Bank
Modernizes cooperative payment devices so farmers can receive and make digital payments.
Activities and approach: Digital payment devices
05Digital entrepreneurship
Smart Villages – Fintech Startup Grants for Rural Inclusion
2020–ongoing · Nationwide / rural-use casesView details
Digital entrepreneurship
Smart Villages – Fintech Startup Grants for Rural Inclusion
2020–ongoing · Nationwide / rural-use casesStatus / period2020–ongoingLocationNationwide / rural-use casesPopulationFintech startups, women and farmersOrganizationsGovernment of Niger; World Bank
Funds new digital financial and nonfinancial solutions for excluded rural users.
Activities and approach: Startup grants; fintech pilots
Workforce
06Digital literacy / gender inclusion
Smart Villages – Women-Focused Digital and Financial Literacy
2020–ongoing · Project villagesView details
Digital literacy / gender inclusion
Smart Villages – Women-Focused Digital and Financial Literacy
2020–ongoing · Project villagesStatus / period2020–ongoingLocationProject villagesPopulationWomen and girlsOrganizationsGovernment of Niger; World Bank
Uses targeted literacy campaigns to increase women's ability to use digital financial and online services.
Activities and approach: Digital/financial literacy
Education
07Rural mobile broadband and digital financial inclusion
Smart Villages for Rural Growth and Digital Inclusion
Active / results reported through 2025 · 2,000+ mostly rural/conflict-affected villagesView details
Rural mobile broadband and digital financial inclusion
Smart Villages for Rural Growth and Digital Inclusion
Active / results reported through 2025 · 2,000+ mostly rural/conflict-affected villagesStatus / periodActive / results reported through 2025Location2,000+ mostly rural/conflict-affected villagesPopulationRural residents, farmers, women and vulnerable populationsOrganizationsGovernment of Niger; World Bank; ANSI
Brings new or enhanced mobile broadband to commercially unviable villages and combines connectivity with digital financial inclusion.
Activities and approach: Mobile broadband; rural digital infrastructure; digital finance; literacy.
Education
08Rural mobile broadband
Smart Villages Reverse-Auction Mobile Broadband – 2,000+ Villages
2020–ongoing · 2,000+ rural villagesView details
Rural mobile broadband
Smart Villages Reverse-Auction Mobile Broadband – 2,000+ Villages
2020–ongoing · 2,000+ rural villagesStatus / period2020–ongoingLocation2,000+ rural villagesPopulationRural residents in commercially unviable areasOrganizationsGovernment of Niger; World Bank
Uses reverse auctions to subsidize first-time mobile broadband coverage in remote communities.
Activities and approach: Mobile broadband subsidy/reverse auction
09National data infrastructure / broadband ecosystem
Trans-Sahara Optical Fiber Backbone - Tier III National Data Centre Component
Ongoing / associated with TSB project · Niamey / nationalView details
National data infrastructure / broadband ecosystem
Trans-Sahara Optical Fiber Backbone - Tier III National Data Centre Component
Ongoing / associated with TSB project · Niamey / nationalStatus / periodOngoing / associated with TSB projectLocationNiamey / nationalPopulationGovernment, operators, digital service providers and citizensOrganizationsGovernment of Niger; African Development Bank
Adds resilient national data-hosting capacity that complements broadband backbone investment and enables local digital services.
Activities and approach: Tier III data centre; broadband interconnection; hosting infrastructure.
10National and cross-border fiber backbone
Trans-Sahara Optical Fiber Backbone Project - Niger
Ongoing; completion activities documented 2025-2026 · Routes to Algeria, Chad, Nigeria, Benin and Burkina FasoView details
National and cross-border fiber backbone
Trans-Sahara Optical Fiber Backbone Project - Niger
Ongoing; completion activities documented 2025-2026 · Routes to Algeria, Chad, Nigeria, Benin and Burkina FasoStatus / periodOngoing; completion activities documented 2025-2026LocationRoutes to Algeria, Chad, Nigeria, Benin and Burkina FasoPopulationOperators, government, businesses and communities along national/cross-border routesOrganizationsGovernment of Niger; African Development Bank; EU
Builds high-capacity fiber links to reduce isolation and improve regional and national broadband connectivity.
Activities and approach: 1,031+ km national/cross-border fiber; optical backbone.
Evidence boundary
Read the portfolio as a starting point, not a final verdict.
Project records document interventions and intended contributions; they do not alone prove nationwide coverage, causal impact, or durable closure.
Profiles will deepen as national statistics, policy documents, evaluations, and implementation evidence are incorporated. Source links allow inspection of underlying evidence.
Evidence and contextProfile Sources+
These sources support the country-level demographic, geographic, and connectivity context. Sources tied to individual projects remain with their project records and are not repeated here.
- Central Intelligence Agency. (n.d.). Niger. The World Factbook. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/niger/
- International Telecommunication Union. (n.d.). ITU DataHub: Country ICT data. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://datahub.itu.int/
- World Bank. (n.d.). Individuals using the Internet (% of population): Niger. World Development Indicators. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.ZS?locations=NE
- World Bank. (n.d.). Population, total: Niger. World Development Indicators. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=NE