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First Lady of Niger

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First Lady of Niger
Incumbent
Unknown
since 28 July 2023
ResidencePresidential Palace, Niamey
Inaugural holderAissa Diori
Formation10 November 1960; 64 years ago (1960-11-10)

The First Lady of Niger (French: Première Dame du Niger) is the title and role attributed to the wife or wives of the President of Niger.[1][2]

History

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The first ladies of Niger do not hold a specific political office or mandate.[1] However, as the wives of Niger's presidents and heads of state, many first ladies became influential figures in Nigerien politics and the media.[1] For example, several Nigerien first ladies established their own charitable foundations, which received substantial domestic media coverage.[1]

Aissa Diori, wife of Niger's founding president, Hamani Diori, became the country's inaugural First Lady upon the country's independence in 1960.[3] She was killed during the 1974 Nigerien coup d'état which overthrew her husband.[3]

Niger is a predominantly Muslim country and polygamous marriages are recognized under customary law. Several presidents have been polygamous, with wives who often share the title and role of first lady.[2] Recent examples have included President Mamadou Tandja (1999–2010) who had two wives, Laraba Tandja and Fati Tandja, and President Mahamadou Issoufou (2011–2021), who was married to First Lady Aïssata Issoufou Mahamadou and First Lady Dr. Lalla Malika Issoufou.[2] Each of these first ladies established their own, competing charities during their husbands' presidencies.[2]

Niger's most recent, publicly known first lady is Hadiza Bazoum, wife of democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, who held the role from 2021 until 2023. On 26 July 2023, a coup d'état led by Presidential Guard Commander Abdourahamane Tchiani, overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum. Since the July 2023 coup, Hadiza Bazoum and her husband have been held under house arrest in the Presidential Palace in Niamey by the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland military junta, led by Tchiani.[4][5][6]

The current military ruler of Niger is President Abdourahamane Tchiani, leader of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland military junta since the July 2023 coup. Tchiani is married with five children, but very little is known about his wife yet, including her name.[7]

First Ladies of Niger

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Name Portrait Term began Term ended President of Niger Notes
Aissa Diori 10 November 1960 15 April 1974 Hamani Diori Aissa Diori was the inaugural First Lady of Niger.[3] She was killed during the 1974 Nigerien coup d'état on 15 April 1974 along with her Tuareg guards.[3][8]
Mintou Kountché 15 April 1974 10 November 1987 Seyni Kountché
Name or names uncertain 10 November 1987 16 April 1993 Ali Saibou President Ali Saibou, the third President of Niger, was polygamous. He had two wives (and 17 children) at the time of his death in 2011.[9]
Nana Mariama Ibrahim Adjia 16 April 1993 27 January 1996 Mahamane Ousmane First democratically elected president of Niger. He was overthrown by Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara in the 1996 Nigerien coup d'état.
Clémence Aïssa Baré 27 January 1996 9 April 1999 Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara Former First Lady Clémence Aïssa Baré is a physician specializing in parasitology and HIV/AIDS and headed her own foundation during her tenure.[1][10] Since 1999, she has campaigned for the prosecution of those responsible for the assassination of her husband during the 1999 Nigerien coup d'état.[11][12]
Name uncertain 9 April 1999 22 December 1999 Daouda Malam Wanké Short-lived Military junta following the 1999 Nigerien coup d'état. The name of Wanké's wife is uncertain.
Laraba Tandja 22 December 1999 18 February 2010 Mamadou Tandja President Mamadou Tandja had two wives, each with their own charitable foundations.[2] First Lady Laraba Tandja headed the Magama Foundation, whuch focused on HIV and AIDS.[2][1]

President Tandja was overthrown in the 2010 Nigerien coup d'état after extending his rule.[13]

Fati Tandja First Lady Fati Tandja headed the PALU Foundation[2]
Name uncertain 18 February 2010 7 April 2011 Salou Djibo Djibo was a Nigerien Army officer who led the military coup of 18 February 2010 after President Tandja attempted to extend his rule. Head of the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy until new elections in 2011. The name of his wife is uncertain.
Aïssata Issoufou Mahamadou 7 April 2011 2 April 2021 Mahamadou Issoufou President Mahamadou Issoufou has two wives, who shared the title and role of First Lady.
Aïssata Issoufou is a chemist and chemical engineer. She headed her own Guri Vie Meilleure Foundation as first lady.[2]
Lalla Malika Issoufou Dr. Lalla Malika Issoufou, President Issoufou's second wife, is a medical doctor. As first lady, she established the Tatali Hilali Foundation.[2]
Hadiza Bazoum 2 April 2021 26 July 2023 Mohamed Bazoum Former First Lady Hadiza Bazoum is a lawyer.[14] Her husband, President Mohamed Bazoum, was overthrown by the Presidential Guard Commander Abdourahamane Tchiani in the 2023 Nigerien coup d'état on 26 July 2023. Since the July 2023 coup, Hadiza Bazoum and her husband have been held under house arrest in the Presidential Palaceby the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland military junta led by Tchiani.[4][5][6][15]
Name unknown'[7] 28 July 2023 Abdourahamane Tchiani Military officer Abdourahamane Tchiani seized power in the 2023 Nigerien coup d'état on 26 July 2023. He has been president of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland military junta since 28 July 2023 and was declared the 11th president of Niger on 26 March 2025 for five years. Tchiani is married with five children, but the name of his wife is not currently known.[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Premieres Danes au Niger, Reines D'un Jour, Reines de Toujours". ActuNiger. 2015-06-10. Archived from the original on 2022-06-28. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Quand la guerre des premières Dames fait rage!". Niger Diaspora. 2022-08-15. Archived from the original on 2025-07-24. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  3. ^ a b c d "Aïssa Diori première dame du Niger". Niger Diaspora. 2006-04-01. Archived from the original on 2016-10-26. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  4. ^ a b Jha, Preeti (2025-03-28). "Mounting calls to free Niger's deposed president". Semafor. Archived from the original on 2025-03-28. Retrieved 2025-07-19.
  5. ^ a b "Niger: Arbitrary Detention of President Bazoum and his Wife". International League Against Arbitrary Detention. 2024-11-11. Archived from the original on 2025-04-23. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  6. ^ a b Peltier, Elian (2024-05-04). "The Bleak Life of a Deposed President and His Wife, Held Captive". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2024-05-04. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  7. ^ a b c "Biographie du Général de Brigade TIANI Abdourahamane". Studio Kalangou - Au rythme du Niger (in French). 2023-07-29. Archived from the original on 2024-12-06. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  8. ^ Fuglestad & Higgott 1975, p. 397
  9. ^ "NIGER: Former President Ali Saibou laid to rest after death at age 71". Reuters Screenocean. 2011-11-02. Archived from the original on 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  10. ^ "Que sont devenues les veuves des anciens présidents africains?". Bamako Hebdo. Bamako.com. 2012-12-08. Archived from the original on 2013-02-02. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  11. ^ "Au Niger, la famille de l'ex-président Baré Maïnassara réclame justice". BBC News. 2019-04-09. Archived from the original on 2022-01-28. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  12. ^ Juompan-Yakam, Clarisse (2015-10-29). "Clémence Baré Maïnassara: "La balle est maintenant dans le camp de l'État du Niger"" [Clémence Baré Maïnassara: "The ball is now in the court of the State of Niger"]. Jeune Afrique. Archived from the original on 2022-05-27. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  13. ^ Olivier, Mathieu (2020-11-25). "Niger: Mamadou Tandja, le président qui en voulait trop". Jeune Afrique. Archived from the original on 2023-10-30. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
  14. ^ Irabor, Gloria (2023-08-15). "Mohamed Bazoum wife: Who is Hadiza Mabrouk Bazoum?". Abtc.ng. Archived from the original on 2025-07-19. Retrieved 2025-07-19.
  15. ^ "Niger: Two Years On, Ex-President Still Arbitrarily Detained. Immediately Release Mohamed Bazoum and His Wife". Human Rights Watch. 2025-07-23. Archived from the original on 2025-07-23. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
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