Niamey

Niamey (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}French pronunciation: [njamɛ]) is the capital and largest city of Niger. As the Niamey Urban Community (French: Communauté Urbaine de Niamey, CUN), it is a first-level division of Niger, surrounded by the Tillabéri Region, in the western part of the country. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the river's east bank. The capital of Niger since the colonial era, Niamey is an ethnically diverse city and the country's main economic centre.

Before the French developed it as a colonial centre, Niamey was the site of villages inhabited by Fula, Zarma, Maouri, and Songhai people. French expeditions first visited Niamey in the 1890s before Captain Henri Salaman [de] established a military post in 1901. Niamey replaced Zinder as the territorial capital from 1903 to 1911 and again in 1926, after which large-scale development occurred. The first city plan in 1930 relocated neighbourhoods and enacted segregation of European and indigenous neighbourhoods, which remained separate until the 1950s. Niamey held Niger's first municipal elections in 1956, electing Djibo Bakary as the first mayor. In the decade following independence in 1960, urban planning introduced infrastructure such as the Kennedy Bridge, which connected the city to the right bank. In the 1970s and 1980s, Niamey's growth was fueled by a boom in the national uranium industry and by droughts that brought rural migrants. Protests in Niamey contributed to the democratisation of Niger, an era which saw an Islamic revival.

Niamey has a dense city centre and some villages in the periphery. Due to rapid population growth, the city has many informal settlements, allocated semi-legally from chiefs of traditional governments, which often often excluded from public utilities. The city's economy is dominated by commerce, largely in the informal economy, and also has extensive urban agriculture. Niamey's largest ethnicity is the Hausa, who often seasonally migrate from rural Niger, though it is generally considered a Zarma city. Both groups' languages are used as lingua francas. The Muslim population largely follows the Tariqa movement of Sufism and the newer Izala movement of Salafism, alongside a Christian minority. One of the hottest major cities in the world, Niamey is prone to droughts and floods. The Niger River is the city's only permanent river and the sole source of its municipal water supply.

The CUN is led by the Governor of Niamey, and the municipal government is led by the Prefect Mayor. It is divided into five communes: Niamey I, II, III, and IV on the left bank, and V on the right bank. Niamey is served by the Diori Hamani International Airport, highways including RN1, and the unused Niamey railway station. Prior to the 2023 junta, the airport stationed the American and French militaries. Niamey is home to Abdou Moumouni University, Niger's most important university, and Niamey National Hospital, the country's largest referral hospital.