Niger scores 0.73 out of 4 on the Africa AI Governance Index 2026, which places it in the Nascent tier at rank 42 of 54. Of 80 indicators, 76 carry a score. Regional Integration is the strongest pillar at 1.11 and Implementation and Impact is the weakest at 0.10. The composite sits below the West Africa mean of 1.27 and the Africa mean of 1.33. The evidence explains the profile: Niger has a personal data protection law and is scored as a signatory of the Africa Declaration on AI, but the profile identifies no adopted national AI strategy, no AI-specific law and no AI budget, and the data protection authority was reported dissolved on 8 June 2026.
P1Strategy & Vision0.80 / 4Nascent
Strategy and Vision scores 0.80, in the Nascent tier, with all 10 indicators scored. The profile records that the government established committees for digital infrastructure governance and national digital development policy (S1.3, score 2), and that national digital policy development involved committee structures and consultations (S1.6, score 2). Niger is developing digital transformation policies, but no formally adopted National AI Strategy was identified (S1.1, score 1). A digital development roadmap exists but is not AI-specific (S1.8, score 1), and AI sector priorities are not clearly defined (S1.7, score 1). The strategy adoption date scores 0 because no adopted strategy was found (S1.2). No dedicated AI budget (S1.4, score 0) and no AI-specific monitoring framework (S1.9, score 0) were identified.
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P2Governance & Regulation1.00 / 4Emerging
Governance and Regulation scores 1.00, in the Emerging tier, with all 10 indicators scored. Niger has a Personal Data Protection Law, Law No. 2017-28 (G2.2, score 3). The profile records the Malabo Convention as signed, with limited implementation evidence (G2.7, score 2). The data protection authority, the Haute Autorité de Protection des Données à caractère Personnel, was reported dissolved by Decree No. 2026-310/PRN/PM of 8 June 2026. The scores for its AI mandate (G2.3, score 1) and for its staffing and budget (G2.4, score 1) are retained and under second-edition review. No staff count or budget was found. No AI-specific law (G2.1, score 0), dedicated AI authority (G2.5, score 0) or AI-related intellectual property amendment (G2.10, score 0) was identified.
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P3Infrastructure & Data1.00 / 4Emerging
Infrastructure and Data scores 1.00, in the Emerging tier, with 8 of 10 indicators scored. Personal data legislation contains provisions on data handling and transfers (I3.7, score 2) and governs cross-border flows (I3.8, score 2). No commercial data centre was verified; a government data centre of about FCFA 9 billion was reported 13% complete in March 2025, and the score of 1 is retained under second-edition review (I3.1). No hyperscaler infrastructure was found (I3.5, score 1) and no sovereign cloud is operational (I3.10, score 1). No data centre capacity figure (I3.2, score 0) or AI computing facility (I3.6, score 0) was found. Submarine cable landing points are not applicable to landlocked Niger (I3.3), and surveillance spending is context only (I3.9).
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P4Human Capital0.60 / 4Nascent
Human Capital scores 0.60, in the Nascent tier, with all 10 indicators scored. The profile records ICT education in the secondary curriculum, though not nationwide or AI-focused (H4.6, score 2). Universities offer computing and ICT programmes, and dedicated AI programmes remain limited (H4.3, score 1). The publications indicator rests on 4.3 papers a year, or 0.16 per million people (H4.4, score 1). Digital skills and coding initiatives operate through non-governmental and innovation organisations (H4.7, score 1). No reliable statistic on AI researchers (H4.1, score 0), no documented AI patent activity (H4.5, score 0), no AI labour transition framework (H4.8, score 0) and no government assessment of AI in the informal economy (H4.9, score 0) were identified.
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P5Innovation & Ecosystem0.33 / 4Nascent
Innovation and Ecosystem scores 0.33, in the Nascent tier, with 9 of 10 indicators scored. The profile records a small number of startups applying AI in fintech, agritech and education (N5.1, score 1) and limited venture capital aimed at AI, mostly at seed stage (N5.2, score 1). Innovation hubs and entrepreneurship centres operate in Niamey but are not AI-specific (N5.3, score 0). No AI regulatory sandbox (N5.4, score 0), government AI procurement framework (N5.5, score 0), AI testing facility (N5.6, score 0), ISO/IEC 42001 adoption (N5.7, score 0) or AI technical committee in the standards body (N5.8, score 0) was identified. University and industry AI partnerships are not scored because no verified evidence was found (N5.10).
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P6Ethics & Inclusion0.70 / 4Nascent
Ethics and Inclusion scores 0.70, in the Nascent tier, with all 10 indicators scored. The profile records that citizens can submit privacy complaints through the Data Protection Authority (E6.4, score 2). General transparency obligations exist under data protection law and are not AI-specific (E6.3, score 1). Civil society takes part informally in digital rights discussions (E6.8, score 1), and young people are involved through innovation programmes (E6.10, score 1). Niger participates in international digital governance discussions with limited AI-specific engagement (E6.7, score 1). No algorithmic impact assessment requirement (E6.1, score 0), bias audit framework (E6.2, score 0) or reference to African ethical frameworks (E6.9, score 0) was identified, and there are no known AI court precedents (E6.5, score 0).
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P7Regional Integration1.11 / 4Emerging
Regional Integration scores 1.11, in the Emerging tier, with 9 of 10 indicators scored. Niger is scored as a signatory of the Africa Declaration on AI, made in Kigali on 4 April 2025 (R7.2, score 3). The profile records participation in regional digital policy discussions (R7.3, score 2) and awareness of the African Union digital transformation agenda, with no formal AI alignment process found (R7.1, score 1). The government addresses misinformation generally, not AI-generated content (R7.6, score 1). No AI-specific bilateral agreement (R7.4, score 0) or AI election framework (R7.5, score 0) was identified. The election incidents indicator is not applicable, because Niger has held no national vote since the presidential run-off of 21 February 2021 (R7.7).
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P8Implementation & Impact0.10 / 4Nascent
Implementation and Impact scores 0.10, in the Nascent tier, with all 10 indicators scored. One indicator scores above 0: general fintech regulation exists and is not AI-specific (M8.7, score 1). The other nine indicators score 0. The profile identifies no AI budget (M8.1), no AI health regulation (M8.2), no public approvals of AI health devices (M8.3), no AI registry (M8.4) and no AI governance reports (M8.5). It identifies no AI governance framework for agriculture (M8.6) or education (M8.8), no documented governance outcomes (M8.9) and no formal adoption of World Health Organization guidance on AI in health (M8.10).
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