Humans of Niamey
Passionate about Africa, I left Washington DC for Lagos almost six months ago in search of work experience on the continent I consider my home. In late February, I received an offer to work as a consultant on an NGO project implemented in the Republic of Niger. Although I intend to visit all African countries at some point in my life (see my hashtag #54before54 on Instagram), I did not expect to travel to Niger so soon. Yet, on March 10 2017, I arrived at Diori Hamani international airport and stayed in Niamey for about a month.
Coming from Lagos especially, what struck me most about the Nigerien capital – aside from the fact that the weather is dry and hot – is that is quite small and simple for a capital city. Indeed, there aren’t an skyscrapers, the roads in most neighborhoods are not paved, most buildings are yellow or orange, and there is only traffic when certain roads are closed to allow to travel from one place to another in Niamey.
With that said, Niamey is populated with a rather large, diverse and interesting group of people. From children skillfully playing soccer on the grounds of the Grand Mosque wearing jerseys of famous international players, people of either Tuareg or Fulani origin riding their donkeys and camels on the famous Boulevard Mali Bero, ladies dressed in colorful outfits and headscarves to sell fari masa (a local delicacy which consists of fried dough) in Yantala, or young men speeding across La Plage (a popular hangout spot for youth in Niamey on the banks of the river Niger) on their motorcycles – “Humans of Niamey” were a pleasure to observe, meet, and photograph during my stay in the Nigerien capital.
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