Title : (01) L’article 12 de la Charte Nationale du Niger : enjeux sociaux et psycho-sociaux d’une politique linguistique

Author : Hamadou Daouda (Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Niger)

Abstract

In Niger, since the promulgation of the national charter and its publication in the Official Gazette on March 31, 2025, the debate surrounding Article 12 has dominated public opinion. According to this article, 10 of the 11 existing national languages ​​became "spoken languages." Only Haoussa retained its status as a national language, while French was relegated to the status of a working language, on par with English, which had no legal status prior to this date. Consequently, interpretations of this provision of the country's new Fundamental Law have proliferated, demonstrating a latent dissension among different social strata. Undoubtedly, in a multilingual context, language policies have repercussions on the life and/or status of languages, and they also significantly impact relations between different communities. This article therefore aims to examine the sociolinguistic and sociopsychological consequences within the various ethnolinguistic groups present in the country.

Keywords: Article 12, national language, linguistics, multilingual, Niger

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