--- title: Niamey — English Wikipedia · full text with trees description: Wikipedia's «Niamey», whole, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics, CC BY-SA 4.0. It begins: Niamey is the capital and largest city of Niger. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Niamey/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/) / [en](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/) / Niamey # Niamey From Wikipedia, [«Niamey»](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niamey), revision of the 2026-09-01 dump, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). The trees and pragmatics of these pages, Mova's parse of that text, are CC BY-SA 4.0 too. The English Wikipedia article «Niamey», whole: 38 sections, 779 sentences and 11716 words, its 326 notes at the end. The marks in brackets «[n]» are Wikipedia's own, each leading to its note and source; the small number after every sentence leads to the sentence's own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Niamey/page/2/) [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Niamey/page/3/) [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Niamey/page/4/) [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Niamey/page/5/) [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Niamey/page/6/) | Facts | | | --- | --- | | | **Niamey · Yamai** | | | **Capital district** | | **Names transcription(s)** | | | | Seal | | | Coordinates: | | [Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regions_of_Niger) | **Niamey Urban Community** | | [Communes Urbaines](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communes_of_Niger) | [Niamey I](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niamey_I); [Niamey II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niamey_II); [Niamey III](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niamey_III); [Niamey IV](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niamey_IV); [Niamey V](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niamey_V) | | Founded as French post | 1901 | | Founded by | [Henri Salaman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Salaman) | | Boroughs | 90 [quartiers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter_%28urban_subdivision%29); 37 attached villages | | **Government** | | | • Type | Appointed regional government, dissolved local government[\[1\]](page/6/#ref-1 "note 1") | | • Governor | Oudou Ambouka[\[2\]](page/6/#ref-2 "note 2") | | • Mayor | Vacant since 2024[\[1\]](page/6/#ref-1 "note 1") | | **Area** | | | • Capital district | 552.27 km² (213.23 sq mi) | | • [Urban](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_area) | 297.46 km² (114.85 sq mi) | | Highest elevation | 250 m (820 ft) | | Lowest elevation | 180 m (591 ft) | | **Population (2012)** | | | • Capital district | 1,026,848[\[3\]](page/6/#ref-3 "note 3") | | • Estimate (2022) | 1,407,635[\[4\]](page/6/#ref-4 "note 4") | | • Density | 1,859.3/km² (4,815.6/sq mi) | | • Urban density | 2,549.0/km² (6,601.9/sq mi) | | | Niamey Urban Community | | [Time zone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_zone) | [UTC+01:00](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTC+01:00) ([WAT](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Africa_Time)) | | Area code | 20 | | [ISO 3166 code](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166) | NE-8 | | [HDI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index) (2023) | 0.512[\[5\]](page/6/#ref-5 "note 5"); low · [1st](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_regions_of_Niger_by_Human_Development_Index) | | Website | [villedeniamey.ne](https://villedeniamey.ne/) | Niamey[\[6\]](page/6/#ref-6 "note 6") is the capital and largest city of [Niger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niger) [corpus](../Niger/ "in our corpus").[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") It is in the western part of the country, surrounded by the [Tillabéri Region](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tillabéri_Region).[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") Niamey lies on the [Niger River](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niger_River), primarily situated on the river's left bank (east side).[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") The capital of Niger since the [colonial era](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_of_Niger), Niamey is an ethnically diverse city and the country's main economic centre.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") Before the French developed it as a colonial centre, Niamey was the site of villages inhabited by [Fula](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fula_people), [Zarma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zarma_people), [Maouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maouri_people), and [Songhai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songhai_people) people.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") French expeditions first visited the location in the 1890s before Captain [Henri Salaman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Salaman) established a military post in 1901.[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") Niamey replaced [Zinder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinder) as the territorial capital from 1903 to 1911 and again in 1926, after which large-scale development occurred.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") The first city plan in 1930 relocated neighbourhoods and enacted [segregation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_segregation) of European and indigenous neighbourhoods, which remained separate until the 1950s.[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") Niamey held Niger's first municipal elections in 1956, electing [Djibo Bakary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djibo_Bakary) as the first mayor.[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") In the decade following [independence in 1960](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_%28Niger%29), urban planning introduced infrastructure such as the [Kennedy Bridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennedy_Bridge_%28Niamey%29), which connected the city to the right bank.[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") In the 1970s and 1980s, Niamey's growth was fuelled by a boom in [the national uranium industry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_and_mining_industry_of_Niger#Uranium) and by droughts that brought rural migrants.[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") Protests in Niamey contributed to the democratisation of Niger in the 1990s.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") This era saw an [Islamic revival](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_revival).[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") Niamey has a dense city centre and includes some villages in the periphery.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") Due to rapid population growth, the city has many [informal settlements](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informal_settlement), allocated semi-legally from chiefs of traditional governments, which are often excluded from public utilities.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") The city's economy is dominated by commerce, largely in the [informal economy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informal_economy).[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") The city also has extensive [urban agriculture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_agriculture).[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") Alongside the [Zarma people](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zarma_people), Niamey has a large [Hausa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hausa_people) population, who often [seasonally migrate from rural Niger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_migration_in_Niger).[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") Both groups' languages are used as [lingua francas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingua_franca).[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") Most of the population follows Islam—including the [Tariqa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariqa) movement of [Sufism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufism) and the newer [Izala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izala_Society) movement of [Salafism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salafism)—with a Christian minority.[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") Niamey is one of the [hottest major cities in the world](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_by_average_temperature).[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") It is prone to droughts and floods.[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") The Niger River is the city's only permanent river and the sole source of its [municipal water supply](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipal_water_supply).[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") Niamey comprises the Niamey Urban Community (Communauté Urbaine de Niamey, CUN), a [first-level division of Niger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regions_of_Niger), led by the [Governor of Niamey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_of_Niamey).[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") It is divided into five [communes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communes_of_Niger): [Niamey I](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niamey_I), [II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niamey_II), [III](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niamey_III), and [IV](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niamey_IV) on the left bank, and [V](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niamey_V) on the right bank.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") The city also has a municipal government, though it was dissolved in 2024.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") Transportation links include [Diori Hamani International Airport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diori_Hamani_International_Airport), highways including [RN1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_Nationale_1_%28Niger%29), and the unused [Niamey railway station](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niamey_railway_station).[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") Niamey is home to [Abdou Moumouni University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdou_Moumouni_University), Niger's most important university, and [Niamey National Hospital](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Hospital_%28Niamey%29), the country's largest [referral hospital](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tertiary_referral_hospital).[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") ## History Main article: [History of Niamey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Niamey) ### Background and foundation The area of modern Niamey was of little importance before Niger's [colonial era](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Niger#Colonization).[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") As the [Sahelian kingdoms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahelian_kingdoms) fought for control over the [Sahel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahel), the Niamey area was a [buffer zone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffer_zone) that was not urbanised.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") Late-sixteenth-century residents of this area included the [Zarma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zarma_people) and other [Songhai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songhai_people) refugees from the [Moroccan invasion of the Songhai Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moroccan_invasion_of_the_Songhai_Empire), [Hausa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hausa_language)-speaking [Maouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maouri_people) hunters who migrated westward from the [Dogondoutchi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogondoutchi) area, and the regionally dominant [Fula people](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fula_people).[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") These ethnic groups comprise the population of modern Niamey.[\[7\]](page/6/#ref-7 "note 7")[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") The villages of [Goudel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goudel) and [Gamkalé](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamkalé) were founded on the left bank (east side) of the [Niger River](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niger_River) in the sixteenth century.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") The site that would become Niamey was situated between these villages, around the [gully](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gully) of [Gounti Yéna](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gounti_Yéna).[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") Various other villages sprouted here around the early nineteenth century; the Hausa village of [Maourey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maourey), the Zarma village of [Kalley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalley_%28Niamey%29), and the Songhai village of [Gaweye](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaweye) were on the left bank, while the Fula villages of [Lamordé](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamordé), [Nogaré](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nogaré), and [Kirkissoye](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirkissoye) were on the right bank.[\[8\]](page/6/#ref-8 "note 8")[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") Oral histories differ on the chronology of Niamey's early settlement and the etymology of its name.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") The Maouri believe that the city's Maouri founders were driven away from the nearby river island of [Néni Goungou](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Néni_Goungou) by the Fula villagers of [Bitinkodji](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitinkodji); they say the city was built next to a landmark tree called Gna[\[10\]](page/6/#ref-10 "note 10") and was thus named "place of the Gna", or Gna-mé.[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") The Zarma believe that the founder, a [Kallé Zarma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zarma_people#Demographics_and_language) chief from the [Zarmaganda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zarmaganda) region named Kouri Mali, acquired land between [Yantala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yantala) and [Gamkalé Sebangayé](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamkalé_Sebangayé); they say the city's name is derived from his exclamation of "wa gnam ne", meaning "clear out here" or "settle here".[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") The Songhai believe that the founders were two fishermen from [Gao](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gao), who were gifted the river island of Yama Gungu by the local Fula herders before settling on the left bank.[\[8\]](page/6/#ref-8 "note 8")[\[9\]](page/6/#ref-9 "note 9")[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Colonial era #### French invasion and military rule By the time of the [Scramble for Africa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scramble_for_Africa), when France laid claim to [Niger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niger) [corpus](../Niger/ "in our corpus"), western Niger had been weakened by local conflicts and had no major political powers.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") This facilitated the French invasion of Niger, which began in 1891.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") The first European mentions of Niamey were by the 1897 mission of [Émile Auguste Léon Hourst](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Émile_Auguste_Léon_Hourst),[\[11\]](page/6/#ref-11 "note 11") then the 1899 [Voulet–Chanoine Mission](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voulet–Chanoine_Mission), which set fire to Niamey.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") A local account mentioned earlier contact with Europeans, identified as the expedition of [Georges Joseph Toutée](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Joseph_Toutée).[\[12\]](page/6/#ref-12 "note 12")[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") The first French post in Niamey was established in 1901 by [Henri Salaman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Salaman), a captain overseeing the Niger–Chad road.[\[13\]](page/6/#ref-13 "note 13")[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") The administration chose the location—above a river bend—to provide a port between [Zinder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinder) and [Timbuktu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timbuktu) and to facilitate securing control over the inland part of the territory.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") Salaman was the first to refer to the whole cluster of villages as Niamey.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") Niamey's residents viewed him as a bringer of peace and development, and the city became known in Hausa as "garin captin Salma", meaning "Captain Salaman's city".[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") French settlement of Niamey began on an empty plateau on the left bank (the modern-day [quartier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter_%28urban_subdivision%29) of [Terminus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminus_%28Niamey%29)).[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") Salaman's administration led construction in this area and drew in migrants through incentives, which included suspending taxation and forced labour for residents.[\[13\]](page/6/#ref-13 "note 13")[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") Niamey replaced Zinder as the capital of Niger in 1903, after a Tuareg revolt had weakened the eastern part of the territory.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") The French government incorporated several former chiefdoms into the Canton of Niamey.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") The first chief, a commoner named Bagniou, was unpopular as he had been a guide for the Voulet–Chanoine Mission, and the chiefdom of [Karma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma,_Niger) protested losing autonomy to the new canton; it was replaced by the Canton of Karma in 1908.[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") Niamey had about 1,800 inhabitants in 1904, when it became the capital of the [Third Military Territory of Niger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Senegal_and_Niger).[\[13\]](page/6/#ref-13 "note 13")[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") The first [city limits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_limits) were then drawn.[\[14\]](page/6/#ref-14 "note 14")[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") Niamey was not yet a focus of development as the capital's location was intended to be temporary, and officials debated whether the capital should be Niamey or Zinder.[\[13\]](page/6/#ref-13 "note 13")[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") The capital moved back to Zinder in 1911, after violence in the eastern region had subsided[\[15\]](page/6/#ref-15 "note 15") and reorganisation had drawn Niamey further away from the center of the territory.[\[14\]](page/6/#ref-14 "note 14")[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") From that year, Niamey's population began to decline from a peak of 3,000.[\[13\]](page/6/#ref-13 "note 13")[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") #### Colony of Niger See also: [Colony of Niger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_of_Niger) The [Colony of Niger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_of_Niger) was founded in 1922.[\[13\]](page/6/#ref-13 "note 13")[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") Zinder's proximity to the Nigerian border and its distance from French-controlled ports prompted the French to move the capital back to Niamey.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") Although Niamey was isolated from most of the colony, it was near [French Dahomey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Dahomey).[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") The official reason for the move was that Zinder had insufficient potable water.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") Other reasons included the resistance of Zinder's unified Hausa population to French rule, Niamey's more comfortable climate, and its river location, which officials believed was the only place suitable for agriculture.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") The governor of Niger, [Jules Brévié](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Brévié), made Niamey the capital on 28 December 1926, by which time the city had 3,142 inhabitants.[\[16\]](page/6/#ref-16 "note 16")[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") Construction of the new capital—including the governor's palace—began the year prior, mostly using forced labour.[64](64/ "tree and pragmatics") In the decades following Niamey's establishment as the capital, the government developed agriculture and trade routes in western Niger, largely ignoring the rest of the territory.[\[17\]](page/6/#ref-17 "note 17")[65](65/ "tree and pragmatics") The government planned to extend [Dahomey's rail network](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Benin) to link [Parakou](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parakou) to Niamey, but this project was not completed.[\[18\]](page/6/#ref-18 "note 18")[66](66/ "tree and pragmatics") As capital, Niamey also became the center for the educated class of mostly Songhai and Zarma people, with the first regional school opening in 1930.[\[19\]](page/6/#ref-19 "note 19")[67](67/ "tree and pragmatics") Niamey's first city plan in 1930 designated an indigenous quarter near the river and a European quarter further inland, separated by a park used as a [zone sanitaire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordon_sanitaire_%28medicine%29) (isolation zone).[\[20\]](page/6/#ref-20 "note 20")[68](68/ "tree and pragmatics") Government construction, including the completion of the governor's palace, took place in late 1930 and early 1931 using forced labour.[\[21\]](page/6/#ref-21 "note 21")[69](69/ "tree and pragmatics") Before the 1930s, most migrants to Niamey were from western Niger.[\[22\]](page/6/#ref-22 "note 22")[70](70/ "tree and pragmatics") Low rainfall in 1930 caused [a famine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1931_Niger_famine) that brought [internally displaced people](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internally_displaced_people) to Niamey starting in May 1931.[71](71/ "tree and pragmatics") These migrants increased the city's population tenfold, but most left after the famine ended.[72](72/ "tree and pragmatics") Those who remained established [informal settlements](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informal_settlements) with mostly [thatched](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thatched) mud buildings on the edge of the indigenous quarter.[73](73/ "tree and pragmatics") The growth led colonial administrators to increase policing of hygiene.[\[23\]](page/6/#ref-23 "note 23")[74](74/ "tree and pragmatics") Urban planning in the 1930s introduced health initiatives that involved the relocation of existing neighbourhoods, except for Gaweye, to the plateau.[75](75/ "tree and pragmatics") Most residents wished to stay on the river bank, but, after a 1935 fire destroyed many straw buildings, they were forcibly moved to [mudbrick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudbrick) houses, resulting in multiethnic neighbourhoods.[76](76/ "tree and pragmatics") An urban plan implemented in 1937 divided Niamey into the European city, the indigenous city, and a commercial and industrial zone by the river.[\[24\]](page/6/#ref-24 "note 24")[77](77/ "tree and pragmatics") Most of the urban plan was cancelled during the [Second World War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_World_War), when colonial officials left for the war and the administration prioritised commercial farming over infrastructure.[78](78/ "tree and pragmatics") As the city's population increased—from 5,000 in 1941 to 7,500 in 1945—the remaining colonial administrators were unable to enforce property ownership laws, resulting in many people acquiring land from indigenous chiefs.[\[25\]](page/6/#ref-25 "note 25")[79](79/ "tree and pragmatics") In the 1940s, the administration used taxation and forced labour to disincentivise immigration to the city.[80](80/ "tree and pragmatics") This labour was used for public works such as a central hospital and maternity ward.[81](81/ "tree and pragmatics") Forced labour was permitted under the [indigénat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_code_%28France%29) until its abolishment in 1946, after which rural immigration increased.[\[26\]](page/6/#ref-26 "note 26")[82](82/ "tree and pragmatics") The same year, Niger gained autonomy as an [overseas territory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Union), leading to the formation of political parties in Niamey.[83](83/ "tree and pragmatics") The French government reorganised Niamey in response to political unrest, and Gamkalé and Yantala were incorporated into the city.[\[27\]](page/6/#ref-27 "note 27")[84](84/ "tree and pragmatics") A new urban plan in 1952, the Plan Herbé (lit.[85](85/ "tree and pragmatics") ‘Grassy Plan’), divided the city into several zones.[86](86/ "tree and pragmatics") The indigenous side included dense [city blocks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_block), while the European side was more open and green.[87](87/ "tree and pragmatics") This plan also formalised a marketplace of [land plots](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_plot), replacing [traditional ownership](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customary_land).[\[28\]](page/6/#ref-28 "note 28")[88](88/ "tree and pragmatics") Niamey was the first settlement in Niger to become an urban centre, doubling in size between 1945 and 1955 to about 15,000 people.[89](89/ "tree and pragmatics") The Plan Herbé became outdated amid rapid urban growth and a wave of migrants from a 1954 famine.[\[28\]](page/6/#ref-28 "note 28")[90](90/ "tree and pragmatics") The city grew inward into the zone sanitaire, eliminating the distinction between the European and indigenous cities by 1955.[\[29\]](page/6/#ref-29 "note 29")[91](91/ "tree and pragmatics") Niamey was named as a [commune mixte](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commune_mixte), with a partially elected council, on 14 February 1954.[92](92/ "tree and pragmatics") It was upgraded to Niger's only [commune de plein exercice](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commune_de_plein_exercice) on 18 December 1955, leading to municipal elections on 18 November 1956, the first in the country.[93](93/ "tree and pragmatics") The newly formed Mouvement Socialiste Africain coalition (later renamed [Sawaba](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawaba)) won a majority in these elections.[94](94/ "tree and pragmatics") [Djibo Bakary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djibo_Bakary)—the leader of a popular trade union in Niamey—thus became the first mayor.[95](95/ "tree and pragmatics") [Boubou Hama](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boubou_Hama) was his deputy mayor.[96](96/ "tree and pragmatics") As mayor, Bakary campaigned in support of immediate independence in [the 1958 referendum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_Nigerien_constitutional_referendum)[\[28\]](page/6/#ref-28 "note 28") and unsuccessfully ran for Niamey's seat in the [1958 Nigerien Territorial Assembly election](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_Nigerien_Territorial_Assembly_election).[\[30\]](page/6/#ref-30 "note 30")[97](97/ "tree and pragmatics") **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Niamey/page/2/) [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Niamey/page/3/) [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Niamey/page/4/) [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Niamey/page/5/) [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Niamey/page/6/) - next →: [page 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Niamey/page/2/) - ↑ back to [English Wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/)