NIGER · SECURITY FINANCE
Key Facts
- —The country Sahel state ruled by a military junta since the July 2023 coup.
- —What happened Fund head presented three-year accounts in Niamey on Saturday, 10 October.
- —The total About US$122 million raised since October 2023; 82.6% went to security.
- —Who pays 83.4% came from compulsory levies on wages, firms and fuel.
- —IMF context IMF staff agreed a new US$203 million programme on 8 October.
- —Still open No itemised list of arms, suppliers or prices was published.
Three years after the coup, Niger’s military government is paying for its war mostly with levies on wages, firms and fuel.
Niger’s military government has raised 71.2 billion CFA francs (about US$122 million) for its security fund since October 2023. Its president gave the figures at a press conference in Niamey, the state news agency ANP reported on Saturday, 10 October.
About 82.6%, or 58.8 billion CFA francs (about US$100 million), went to the forces fighting armed groups. The Niger security fund shows a junta that expelled US troops paying for its war through levies at home.
What the Fund Reported in Niamey
The FSSP, or Solidarity Fund for Safeguarding the Homeland, began collecting money on 23 October 2023. That was three months after the army seized power and removed elected president Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023.
The fund is chaired by Réki Moussa Hassane Djermakoye. According to ANP, the exact total since launch is 71,205,146,527 CFA francs (about US$121.6 million).
Voluntary contributions supplied 11.8 billion CFA francs (about US$20.1 million), or 16.6%. Compulsory levies set by law supplied 59.4 billion CFA francs (about US$101.5 million), or 83.4%.
The third year, from 11 October 2025 to 10 October 2026, brought in 38.4 billion CFA francs (about US$65.6 million). Levies made up 95% of that sum, and voluntary gifts only about 5%.
Those gifts included 1.59 billion CFA francs (about US$2.7 million) from the “100 francs of the Tillabéri Appeal”, a community collection scheme. ANP said collection committees now cover 92% of Niger’s municipalities, with 11,410 committees in place.
Who Pays: Levies on Wages, Firms and Fuel
Djermakoye listed the five levies that bring in the most money, together about 70% of resources.
- A charge of 1% to 2% on the turnover of some large companies in strategic sectors (21% of resources).
- 1% of net monthly pay for public, semi-public and private employees, plus an extra charge on senior officials’ benefits (18%).
- A charge built into the price structure of fuel (13%).
- 15% of the annual fees paid to ARCEP, the telecoms and postal regulator (9%).
- A charge of 3% to 12% of customs value on imported luxury goods (9%).
The jump in the third year followed Ordinance No. 2025-35 of 22 October 2025. That decree doubled the number of levy categories from 11 to 22.
The fuel levy comes as Niger, an oil producer, struggles with shortages at the pump. On Friday, 9 October, the Council of Ministers blamed fraud and informal networks and set up a technical committee to fix supply.
The council recalled that petrol now costs 499 CFA francs (about US$0.85) per litre and diesel 618 CFA francs (about US$1.06). Conversions use the open.er-api.com rate of 11 October, 585.40 per US$1, for the euro-pegged currency.
What the Money Bought
In the third year alone, the fund made 29 major purchases worth 41.1 billion CFA francs (about US$70.2 million). ANP listed 343 vehicles of all types, 4,928 motorcycles, weapons and ammunition, spare parts and other security equipment.
The fund also paid for defence-industry sites and security works at strategic locations. These include a plant to assemble, convert and armour military vehicles, two regional maintenance workshops and a workshop making soldiers’ kit.
A smaller share went to civilian projects: 1.92 billion CFA francs (about US$3.3 million) in the third year. They cover local rice, jobs for 1,000 graduates, irrigation in Diffa and fresh fish, and created 2,026 jobs, she said.
Running costs are capped at 3% of levy income under Article 20 of the 2025 ordinance. Djermakoye said this money pays staff, travel and publicity and is not a rebate for committee members.
Why It Matters for a Junta Without Western Aid
Niger has been under military rule since the July 2023 coup, led by General Abdourahamane Tiani. Tiani is now styled President of the Republic and chairs the Council of Ministers.
Since the coup, Niger has formed the Alliance of Sahel States with fellow juntas in Mali and Burkina Faso. It has also cut military ties with France and the United States.
The fund’s report came two days after a separate deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). On Thursday, 8 October, IMF staff agreed a new 38-month Extended Credit Facility of SDR 150.02 million (about US$203 million).
The statement by mission chief Julia Bersch projects 7% growth in 2026 and a deficit of 3.4% of GDP. It stresses domestic revenue, transparency and accountability, but does not mention the FSSP.
What It Means for US Readers
US forces left Niger in 2024 after the junta ended a military cooperation agreement with Washington. They had used bases in Niamey and Agadez for counterterrorism and drone missions.
The Niger security fund shows how the junta replaced that support, with about US$100 million raised at home for vehicles and guns. The Sahel remains a centre of jihadist violence that US officials track closely.
As the IMF’s largest shareholder, the United States will have a say when the Board considers the loan. That vote is expected in early December.
For investors, the 1% to 2% turnover levy on large firms in strategic sectors is a real cost. In Niger, those sectors include oil and uranium mining, where foreign companies operate.
What Is Not Known
ANP did not publish an itemised list of weapons, suppliers or unit prices. It is also unclear whether any independent audit of the fund has been published.
The report did not explain how the FSSP’s money is recorded in the state budget or in IMF programme figures. ANP did not name the companies that pay the turnover levy, and the date of the fuel price cut was not given.
What Comes Next
The fund’s fourth year began on Sunday, 11 October, under the wider 2025 levy rules. The IMF Executive Board is expected to consider Niger’s new programme in early December 2026.
Board approval would release about SDR 26.3 million (about US$36 million) at once. It would not end the levies, which are set by Nigerien law and sit outside the IMF deal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FSSP in Niger?
It is the Solidarity Fund for Safeguarding the Homeland, set up by Niger’s military government after the July 2023 coup. It began collecting money on 23 October 2023.
How much has Niger’s security fund raised?
71.2 billion CFA francs, about US$122 million, since October 2023, its president said on 10 October. About 83% came from compulsory levies.
What has the money been spent on?
About 82.6% went to the defence and security forces. Third-year purchases included 343 vehicles, 4,928 motorcycles, weapons and ammunition.
Who pays the levies?
Large firms in strategic sectors, wage earners, fuel buyers, telecom licence holders and importers of luxury goods. Five levies supply about 70% of the money.
Is the fund part of the new IMF deal?
No. The IMF staff statement of 8 October on the US$203 million programme does not mention the fund.
Sources: ANP, FSSP press conference report; Niger Inter, Communiqué du Conseil des ministres du 9 octobre 2026; ANP, mesures sur les produits pétroliers; US Africa Command, “U.S. Withdrawal from Niger completed”; IMF, press release 26/328; Niger Inter, “Le Niger et le FMI signent un accord” (all accessed 11 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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