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RECENT WORKS
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How a mutiny became a(nother) coup: The politics of counterinsurgency and international military partnerships in Niger
Aoife McCullough, Adam Sandor Author Notes African Affairs, Volume 122, Issue 489, October 2023, Pages 587–601, https://doi.org/10.1093/afraf/adad034 Published: 16 January 2024 This briefing explores the factors that led to the consolidated position of the Nigerien Security and Defence forces in support of the coup d’état launched the night of 26th July 2023. The initial blockade of the former President’s palace by the head of the Presidential Guard and 350 of its members looked like a mutiny. However, instead of moving swiftly to end the blockade, commanders from across the security forces appeared on national television that night to announce a coup. We show how dominant theories that have been used to explain the coup’s (unlikely) success, including those relying on patrimonialism and coups as intra-military coordination games, do not adequately explain the support for the coup across rank and file, and the direction the coup took once announced. We argue that this coup cannot be fully explained without considering how the coup leaders advanced powerful ideological messages to garner support. By making the coup about ‘correcting’ the government’s counter-insurgency strategy and regaining Niger’s sovereignty through the removal of French counter-terrorism troops from the country, members of the military believed that everyone else would support the coup, thus making it less likely that they would resist the coup leaders. Self-defense Militia Groups in Niger: Risking a Time Bomb Delina Goxho With the encroachment of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) and al-Qaeda affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) on areas along Niger’s western borders, the Bazoum government in Niger was witnessing the birth of self-defense militia in the regions of Tahoua and Tillabéri. Although the pre-coup Nigerien government had taken steps to manage the Tahoua garde nomade through a system of control, co-optation, and integration into the security forces, it was not doing the same with the zankai in Tillabéri, who are operating autonomously, and who now represent a heavy legacy for the new transition government to deal with. This was due to the government’s lack of relations with zankai leadership, the latter’s decentralized nature, and the perception that they appear to pose less of a political and military threat than the Tuareg militia. However, experiences in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso show how, if not properly managed, the formation of ethnic militia presents the risk of a rapid escalation of violence along communal lines. European policymakers should have a granular understanding of these dynamics to ensure that – should they choose to support the transition government in the future – they are aware of the implications regarding self-defense groups. On the other hand, the Nigerien transition government should learn from the previous administration’s co-optation strategy with the garde nomade and apply it to other self-defense groups if it wants to avoid losing control over militia groups such as the zankai. Mainstreaming of Women’s Needs and Participation in Security Sector Reform Processes in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Ornella Moderan This study explores the nature of progress achieved with regard to women’s participation in the security sector in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger as well as institutional responses to the specific security needs of girls and women. To this end, the study draws on a methodology based on a literature review, followed by the collection of updated primary data through interviews with representatives of state institutions, members of civil society, and specialists selected for their specific knowledge and experience in relation to SSR and women’s participation in the security sector in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. |
ACADEMIC WORKS
The impact of security force assistance in Niger: meddling with borders
Nina Wilén
International Affairs, Volume 98, Issue 4, July 2022, Pages 1405–1421, https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiac119 Published: 05 July 2022
How does Security Force Assistance (SFA) impact Niger's security sector and beyond? I draw on extensive fieldwork in Niger and identify and analyse two developments taking place in Niger's security sector: the development of an expanded Special Forces Command and the elaboration of multiple mobile hybrid units. I build upon, and contribute to, existing studies related to the politicization and securitization of borders in the Sahel and research discussing the blurring of borders between internal and external security forces. The aim is twofold: first, to unpack SFA efforts and effects through a focus on both geopolitical borders in Niger, and borders between and within corps and units in the security sector; and second, to contextualize and compare the developments in Niger's security sector with broader, global security trends. I find that both of the SFA projects constitute and feed into institutional games and inter-agency rivalry regarding task division, equipment and training. The overuse of the newly created Special Forces Command mirrors global trends of the latter as an ‘easy button to push’, while the multiplication of hybrid units to secure geopolitical borders reinforces the status and power of intermediary agencies that are at the interface between internal and external security forces. On an overarching level, the two trends of meddling with borders are found to be co-constituted by external and local actors who decide which developments that should be considered threats and how they should be addressed, questions that are deeply intertwined with power and control.
Light footprint—heavy destabilising impact in Niger: why the Western understanding of remote warfare needs to be reconsidered
Published: 11 January 2022
Volume 60, pages 790–817, (2023)
James Rogers & Delina Goxho
Remote warfare has become a ‘catch-all’ term, used to describe the so-called ‘light footprint’, ‘low-risk’, and ‘distant’ characteristics of contemporary Western warfighting. Typified by a reliance on military airpower, new weapon technologies, special operations forces, and the support of local partners, proxies, and surrogates, this form of modern warfare has allowed the USA and its Western coalition member to meet national security threats globally, yet withoutr having to endure the heavy cost to their soldier’s lives that defined Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003). Nevertheless, in this article, we argue that this perception of remote warfare needs reappraising. By analysing the case of Niger, we highlight how the means and mechanisms of remote warfare have now proliferated to a plethora of state actors, with varying ambitions, who combine their ‘light footprint’ to saturate distant zones of conflict and sovereign nations considered to be ‘strategic choke-points’. Although adopted as the blueprint for militarily effective and politically attuned global force deployment by a range of nations, we question the extent to which it is still politically useful, militarily effective, or indeed academically accurate to consider remote warfare as ‘light footprint’ at all.
Remote Warfare in the Sahel and a Role for the EU
Delina Goxho
Published in: Remote warfare
Publication date: 2021
‘The glass is half full, it’s complex and we have a lot to do, but I’m convinced we are on the right track’ remarked French Defence Minister Florence Parly at
the Munich Security Conference on 16 February 2019. She added that she believed the French military presence in the G5 Sahel countries (Mauritania,
Mali, Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso) will improve the security situation in the Sahel, a region which has, for some time, been a prominent theatre of
intervention. In December 2012, French troops intervened in Mali to stop Islamist militants advancing on the capital Bamako, firstly through Opération
Serval and then later with Opération Barkhane (as of 2014). Islamist groups had gained control over the northern part of Mali, capitalising on the instability
caused by the Libyan civil war in the region. Opération Serval succeeded in its efforts to recapture territory. Opération Barkhane was then launched to
provide long-term support to the wider region and prevent ‘jihadist groups’ from regaining control (Bacchi 2014). In the past few years, however, Burkina
Faso, Mali and Niger have been suffering some of the deadliest attacks on record, as the area is being ravaged by tribal conflict and terror attacks (Chambas 2020).
Chapter Title: A HISTORY OF THE GENDARMERIE IN NIGER
Book Title: Policing the Frontier: An Ethnography of Two Worlds in Niger
Book Author(s): Mirco Göpfert
In some respects and from the perspective of many Nigerien gendarmes, the Gendarmerie Nigérienne seems to lack a history of its own. First, historians have never focused on the gendarmerie, not in Niger, rarely anywhere else in Africa.¹ Second, there are almost no archival sources available in Niger. The few available are fragmentary or inaccessible. Third, when talking about the history of their institution, gendarmes refer only to the history of the French gendarmerie, beginning with Napoleon, not to their own Nigerien path. Fourth, the number of gendarmes in Niger has more than tripled in two decades, so that at...
Analysing (In)formal Relations and Networks in Security Force Assistance: The Case of Niger
Nina Wilén
Pages 580-597 | Published online: 20 Sep 2021
Studies on Security Force Assistance (SFA) have hitherto been dominated by different iterations of the principal-agent perspective to explain relations between provider and recipient. Yet, while such frameworks aptly illustrate these dynamics from a macro perspective, they are inadequate when analysing the complexity of practices on the ground. To mitigate this short-coming, the present article uses a Social Network Analysis framework to provide an in-depth micro analysis of relations between different SFA providers and the recipient state: Niger, focusing on the Belgian Special Forces. Drawing on field observations and more than 40 interviews in Niger, the present study increases our understanding of how dynamic (in)formal social networks impact the development of SFA. It points to the importance of timing, contingency and individual encounters as central in the understanding of how SFA develops and at times strays from strategies.
The American way of war in Africa: the case of Niger
LTC Joseph Guido
Pages 176-199 | Received 06 Jan 2018, Accepted 25 Nov 2018, Published online: 25 Apr 2019
Abstract: Increasing attention paid to US casualties in far-flung places such as Tongo Tongo, Niger, and headlines claiming ‘secret wars’ have fueled discussion about American military’s involvement in Africa. Though the continent has been a part of the American way of war since the beginnings of the US – consider the early combat actions of US Marines in Tripoli –, current African conflicts are challenging our understanding of war and approaches to winning it. This article examines the ways America seeks to achieve its ends in Africa with a particular focus upon the last 10 years of US counter-terrorism and stability operations in Niger and the Sahel Region. The author proposes unifying American, Allied, and partner efforts through a strategy of Active Containment.
‘I’ll take two.’ Migration, terrorism, and the Italian military engagement in Niger and Libya
Michela Ceccorulli & Fabrizio Coticchia
Pages 174-196 | Published online: 16 Apr 2020
Abstract: In January 2018, the Italian parliament approved a new military operation in Niger and an extension to the existing deployment in Libya. Italian leaders explicitly cast this as a ‘pivot’ to Africa, a ‘relocation of troops’ from Afghanistan and Iraq to the Sahel and Northern Africa. What factors underlie this strategic shift? Despite the importance of this question, to date, little analysis of the decision-making process underpinning the recent change has been forthcoming. The article seeks to address this gap through an analysis of the parliamentary debates on the missions. Specifically, it examines the ‘relative importance’ of the two threats/challenges motivating the interventions: irregular immigration into the E.U. (and the related smuggling phenomena) and transnational terrorism. The article contributes to the ongoing debate on the evolution of the Italian foreign, security and defence policy in the broader Mediterranean, offering insights for comparative analyses with other states engaged in those contexts.
Operationalizing Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) | PKSOI SOLLIMS
Women, peace, and security is an internationally recognized term that includes protective and participatory dimensions and addresses the disproportionate and unique impact of conflict on women. Sexual violence, and other gender-based violence, frequently occurs during conflict and in fragile societies. It is usually, but not always, directed against women and girls. When women lead and participate in peace processes, peace lasts longer. Since the groundbreaking UN Security Council resolution 1325, calling for women’s participation in peacebuilding was passed 18 years ago, there is mounting evidence that women are powerful actors in sustaining peace in their communities and nations. Research shows that achieving gender equality helps in preventing conflict, and high rates of violence against women correlates with outbreaks of conflict.
The impact of security force assistance in Niger: meddling with borders
Nina Wilén
International Affairs, Volume 98, Issue 4, July 2022, Pages 1405–1421, https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiac119 Published: 05 July 2022
How does Security Force Assistance (SFA) impact Niger's security sector and beyond? I draw on extensive fieldwork in Niger and identify and analyse two developments taking place in Niger's security sector: the development of an expanded Special Forces Command and the elaboration of multiple mobile hybrid units. I build upon, and contribute to, existing studies related to the politicization and securitization of borders in the Sahel and research discussing the blurring of borders between internal and external security forces. The aim is twofold: first, to unpack SFA efforts and effects through a focus on both geopolitical borders in Niger, and borders between and within corps and units in the security sector; and second, to contextualize and compare the developments in Niger's security sector with broader, global security trends. I find that both of the SFA projects constitute and feed into institutional games and inter-agency rivalry regarding task division, equipment and training. The overuse of the newly created Special Forces Command mirrors global trends of the latter as an ‘easy button to push’, while the multiplication of hybrid units to secure geopolitical borders reinforces the status and power of intermediary agencies that are at the interface between internal and external security forces. On an overarching level, the two trends of meddling with borders are found to be co-constituted by external and local actors who decide which developments that should be considered threats and how they should be addressed, questions that are deeply intertwined with power and control.
Light footprint—heavy destabilising impact in Niger: why the Western understanding of remote warfare needs to be reconsidered
Published: 11 January 2022
Volume 60, pages 790–817, (2023)
James Rogers & Delina Goxho
Remote warfare has become a ‘catch-all’ term, used to describe the so-called ‘light footprint’, ‘low-risk’, and ‘distant’ characteristics of contemporary Western warfighting. Typified by a reliance on military airpower, new weapon technologies, special operations forces, and the support of local partners, proxies, and surrogates, this form of modern warfare has allowed the USA and its Western coalition member to meet national security threats globally, yet withoutr having to endure the heavy cost to their soldier’s lives that defined Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003). Nevertheless, in this article, we argue that this perception of remote warfare needs reappraising. By analysing the case of Niger, we highlight how the means and mechanisms of remote warfare have now proliferated to a plethora of state actors, with varying ambitions, who combine their ‘light footprint’ to saturate distant zones of conflict and sovereign nations considered to be ‘strategic choke-points’. Although adopted as the blueprint for militarily effective and politically attuned global force deployment by a range of nations, we question the extent to which it is still politically useful, militarily effective, or indeed academically accurate to consider remote warfare as ‘light footprint’ at all.
Remote Warfare in the Sahel and a Role for the EU
Delina Goxho
Published in: Remote warfare
Publication date: 2021
‘The glass is half full, it’s complex and we have a lot to do, but I’m convinced we are on the right track’ remarked French Defence Minister Florence Parly at
the Munich Security Conference on 16 February 2019. She added that she believed the French military presence in the G5 Sahel countries (Mauritania,
Mali, Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso) will improve the security situation in the Sahel, a region which has, for some time, been a prominent theatre of
intervention. In December 2012, French troops intervened in Mali to stop Islamist militants advancing on the capital Bamako, firstly through Opération
Serval and then later with Opération Barkhane (as of 2014). Islamist groups had gained control over the northern part of Mali, capitalising on the instability
caused by the Libyan civil war in the region. Opération Serval succeeded in its efforts to recapture territory. Opération Barkhane was then launched to
provide long-term support to the wider region and prevent ‘jihadist groups’ from regaining control (Bacchi 2014). In the past few years, however, Burkina
Faso, Mali and Niger have been suffering some of the deadliest attacks on record, as the area is being ravaged by tribal conflict and terror attacks (Chambas 2020).
Chapter Title: A HISTORY OF THE GENDARMERIE IN NIGER
Book Title: Policing the Frontier: An Ethnography of Two Worlds in Niger
Book Author(s): Mirco Göpfert
In some respects and from the perspective of many Nigerien gendarmes, the Gendarmerie Nigérienne seems to lack a history of its own. First, historians have never focused on the gendarmerie, not in Niger, rarely anywhere else in Africa.¹ Second, there are almost no archival sources available in Niger. The few available are fragmentary or inaccessible. Third, when talking about the history of their institution, gendarmes refer only to the history of the French gendarmerie, beginning with Napoleon, not to their own Nigerien path. Fourth, the number of gendarmes in Niger has more than tripled in two decades, so that at...
Analysing (In)formal Relations and Networks in Security Force Assistance: The Case of Niger
Nina Wilén
Pages 580-597 | Published online: 20 Sep 2021
Studies on Security Force Assistance (SFA) have hitherto been dominated by different iterations of the principal-agent perspective to explain relations between provider and recipient. Yet, while such frameworks aptly illustrate these dynamics from a macro perspective, they are inadequate when analysing the complexity of practices on the ground. To mitigate this short-coming, the present article uses a Social Network Analysis framework to provide an in-depth micro analysis of relations between different SFA providers and the recipient state: Niger, focusing on the Belgian Special Forces. Drawing on field observations and more than 40 interviews in Niger, the present study increases our understanding of how dynamic (in)formal social networks impact the development of SFA. It points to the importance of timing, contingency and individual encounters as central in the understanding of how SFA develops and at times strays from strategies.
The American way of war in Africa: the case of Niger
LTC Joseph Guido
Pages 176-199 | Received 06 Jan 2018, Accepted 25 Nov 2018, Published online: 25 Apr 2019
Abstract: Increasing attention paid to US casualties in far-flung places such as Tongo Tongo, Niger, and headlines claiming ‘secret wars’ have fueled discussion about American military’s involvement in Africa. Though the continent has been a part of the American way of war since the beginnings of the US – consider the early combat actions of US Marines in Tripoli –, current African conflicts are challenging our understanding of war and approaches to winning it. This article examines the ways America seeks to achieve its ends in Africa with a particular focus upon the last 10 years of US counter-terrorism and stability operations in Niger and the Sahel Region. The author proposes unifying American, Allied, and partner efforts through a strategy of Active Containment.
‘I’ll take two.’ Migration, terrorism, and the Italian military engagement in Niger and Libya
Michela Ceccorulli & Fabrizio Coticchia
Pages 174-196 | Published online: 16 Apr 2020
Abstract: In January 2018, the Italian parliament approved a new military operation in Niger and an extension to the existing deployment in Libya. Italian leaders explicitly cast this as a ‘pivot’ to Africa, a ‘relocation of troops’ from Afghanistan and Iraq to the Sahel and Northern Africa. What factors underlie this strategic shift? Despite the importance of this question, to date, little analysis of the decision-making process underpinning the recent change has been forthcoming. The article seeks to address this gap through an analysis of the parliamentary debates on the missions. Specifically, it examines the ‘relative importance’ of the two threats/challenges motivating the interventions: irregular immigration into the E.U. (and the related smuggling phenomena) and transnational terrorism. The article contributes to the ongoing debate on the evolution of the Italian foreign, security and defence policy in the broader Mediterranean, offering insights for comparative analyses with other states engaged in those contexts.
Operationalizing Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) | PKSOI SOLLIMS
Women, peace, and security is an internationally recognized term that includes protective and participatory dimensions and addresses the disproportionate and unique impact of conflict on women. Sexual violence, and other gender-based violence, frequently occurs during conflict and in fragile societies. It is usually, but not always, directed against women and girls. When women lead and participate in peace processes, peace lasts longer. Since the groundbreaking UN Security Council resolution 1325, calling for women’s participation in peacebuilding was passed 18 years ago, there is mounting evidence that women are powerful actors in sustaining peace in their communities and nations. Research shows that achieving gender equality helps in preventing conflict, and high rates of violence against women correlates with outbreaks of conflict.
OP-EDS
Explainer: the role of foreign military forces in Niger
https://theconversation.com/explainer-the-role-of-foreign-military-forces-in-niger-102503
Niger: A Bulwark against Further Instability in West Africa
Daniel Mahanty and William Meeker, CSIS 2019
https://www.csis.org/analysis/niger-bulwark-against-further-instability-west-africa
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
Monitoring Desertification in the Tillabéry Landscape (Sahel Region) using Change Detection Methods and Landscape Metrics
Mansour Mahamane, Volker Hochschild, Alfred Schultz, Jude Kuma
Abstract: This paper seeks to investigate and monitor desertification processes by using remote sensing based change detection methods as well as landscape metrics approaches. The analysis of land use/cover between 1973 and 2007 was conducted using one Landsat Multispectral Scanner (1973-09-30) image, a Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (2001-09-18) image and two Landsat Thematic Mapper (1989-09-29 and 2007-09-27) images. The results of these classifications revealed an increasing trend in desertification throughout the study period. A set of indices (Mesh Index, Landscape Shannon’s Diversity Index, Mean Patch Area and Shape Index) were selected to investigate multi-temporal change in the Tillabéry landscape (Western Niger) an area affected by desertification. The results show that the landscape is highly fragmented, with a corresponding high number of patches with smaller patch sizes, indicating that the original landscape has been converted gradually into bare and desertified area. To further understand the trend and status of desertification in the Tillabéry landscape, a desertified index
was developed.
Assessing soil erosion risk in the Tillabery landscape, Niger
Mansour Mahamane
Article Number - F15378F50829 Vol.9(3), pp. 176-191 , March 2015 https://doi.org/10.5897/AJEST2014.1731
Abstract: To combat desertification, it is indispensable to understand soil erosion processes in the Sahel zone. The objective of this study was to develop a simple model that uses soil texture data from the field and Digital Elevation Model parameters to predict soil texture. This study also assesses soil erosion research in the Sahel region, illustrated by a case study from Tillabéry landscape (Niger). The most sensitive areas and trends of land degradation processes were identified using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation and Unit Stream Power-based Erosion Deposition models. The models used depict a rational evolution of soil loss distribution during the study period from 1973 to 2007. The results show that soil erosion output scenarios predict greater soil erosion in the study area from 2070 onwards. They suggest that human disturbance and topographic factors are the main impact factors in the affected areas.
Explainer: the role of foreign military forces in Niger
https://theconversation.com/explainer-the-role-of-foreign-military-forces-in-niger-102503
Niger: A Bulwark against Further Instability in West Africa
Daniel Mahanty and William Meeker, CSIS 2019
https://www.csis.org/analysis/niger-bulwark-against-further-instability-west-africa
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
Monitoring Desertification in the Tillabéry Landscape (Sahel Region) using Change Detection Methods and Landscape Metrics
Mansour Mahamane, Volker Hochschild, Alfred Schultz, Jude Kuma
Abstract: This paper seeks to investigate and monitor desertification processes by using remote sensing based change detection methods as well as landscape metrics approaches. The analysis of land use/cover between 1973 and 2007 was conducted using one Landsat Multispectral Scanner (1973-09-30) image, a Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (2001-09-18) image and two Landsat Thematic Mapper (1989-09-29 and 2007-09-27) images. The results of these classifications revealed an increasing trend in desertification throughout the study period. A set of indices (Mesh Index, Landscape Shannon’s Diversity Index, Mean Patch Area and Shape Index) were selected to investigate multi-temporal change in the Tillabéry landscape (Western Niger) an area affected by desertification. The results show that the landscape is highly fragmented, with a corresponding high number of patches with smaller patch sizes, indicating that the original landscape has been converted gradually into bare and desertified area. To further understand the trend and status of desertification in the Tillabéry landscape, a desertified index
was developed.
Assessing soil erosion risk in the Tillabery landscape, Niger
Mansour Mahamane
Article Number - F15378F50829 Vol.9(3), pp. 176-191 , March 2015 https://doi.org/10.5897/AJEST2014.1731
Abstract: To combat desertification, it is indispensable to understand soil erosion processes in the Sahel zone. The objective of this study was to develop a simple model that uses soil texture data from the field and Digital Elevation Model parameters to predict soil texture. This study also assesses soil erosion research in the Sahel region, illustrated by a case study from Tillabéry landscape (Niger). The most sensitive areas and trends of land degradation processes were identified using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation and Unit Stream Power-based Erosion Deposition models. The models used depict a rational evolution of soil loss distribution during the study period from 1973 to 2007. The results show that soil erosion output scenarios predict greater soil erosion in the study area from 2070 onwards. They suggest that human disturbance and topographic factors are the main impact factors in the affected areas.
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"Malnutrition is a major threat to children’s health and development in Niger. According to 2018 data, 15.0 per cent of children are acutely malnourished in Niger (unchanged since 2006). Stunting, which has consequences for a child’s survival and cognitive development as well as economic development of the country, affects 47.8 per cent of children, similar to the situation in 2006. Micronutrient deficiencies are rampant, and more than 70 per cent of children under 5 are anemic."
https://www.unicef.org/niger/nutrition#:~:text=According%20to%202018%20data%2C%2015.0,to%20the%20situation%20in%202006.
Literacy
total population: 35.1%
male: 43.6%
female: 26.7% (2018)
CIA World Factbook
SUPPLEMENTAL ACADEMIC PIECES
Micro-Entrepreneurship in Niger: Factors Affecting the Success of Women Street Food Vendors
Miriam Otoo, Germaine Ibro, Joan Fulton &James Lowenberg-Deboer
Pages 16-28 | Published online: 04 Apr 2012
Micro-entrepreneurship in the informal sector plays a vital role in generating employment and income in West Africa. In this article, the authors examine business success factors for micro-entrepreneurs involved in the production and sale of street foods in Niger, drawing on the resource-based view theory. Business success was measured by size of firm and vendor's perception of enterprise growth. Their results indicate that business experience is an important success factor, while the need for cash is a constraint for business success. A rare resource, limited access to financial assets translates into limited opportunities for growth of these informal micro-enterprises into viable businesses.
Micro-Entrepreneurship in Niger: Factors Affecting the Success of Women Street Food Vendors
Miriam Otoo, Germaine Ibro, Joan Fulton &James Lowenberg-Deboer
Pages 16-28 | Published online: 04 Apr 2012
Micro-entrepreneurship in the informal sector plays a vital role in generating employment and income in West Africa. In this article, the authors examine business success factors for micro-entrepreneurs involved in the production and sale of street foods in Niger, drawing on the resource-based view theory. Business success was measured by size of firm and vendor's perception of enterprise growth. Their results indicate that business experience is an important success factor, while the need for cash is a constraint for business success. A rare resource, limited access to financial assets translates into limited opportunities for growth of these informal micro-enterprises into viable businesses.