Niger’s president and former coup leader Abdourahamane Tchiani. (Photo courtesy of the BBC)
Niger enacted legislation on June 11, 2026, establishing criminal penalties for same-sex conduct and LGBTQ-related activities. Key provisions include:
Consensual same-sex intimacy between adults is punishable by five to ten years in prison and fines of up to 100 million CFA francs (approximately 152,000 euros or $176,600).
Participating in a same-sex wedding carries a sentence of ten to twenty years. The provision applies to officiants, witnesses, and anyone who consented to or organized the ceremony.
Managing, financing, or participating in clubs or associations designated as homosexual or LGBTQ+ also carries ten to twenty years imprisonment.
Prior to the new law, Niger had no explicit statute against homosexuality. The colonial-era penal code addressed only same-sex acts involving minors under 21, leaving Niger among a small number of countries in the region that did not criminalize same-sex relations between consenting adults.
The legislation follows similar measures adopted by neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali in 2024, Senegal in March 2026, and a pending bill in Ghana. Niger is governed by Abdourahamane Tchiani, who came to power in a 2023 military coup and has served as president since 2025. The country has a predominantly Muslim population.
Africa Editorial Office: Adeola