The Togolese general elections scheduled for 2025 have been postponed; a future date has yet to be announced. Following the conclusion of the National Conference on the Rebuilding of Niger in February 2025, it was recommended that the transitional period be extended for five years. The transitional period was expected to conclude in 2025.
On 26 July 2023, a group of military officers united within the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP) overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, who had been democratically elected as head of the Republic of Niger in 2021. A few hours after the military regime seized power, General Abdourahamane Tiani, head of the presidential guard, was presented as the new transitional leader. He cited security concerns, including the jihadist threat to the country, poor governance and poverty as justification for the coup. Following the dissolution of the constitution and the republic’s institutions, the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP) was established to oversee the transition.
The African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and several international partners have condemned the military takeover and called for a swift return to constitutional order. Niger was suspended from several regional bodies following the coup.
The reforms and outlook of the transitional government
To lay the foundation for a political, economic and social transition, the National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland (CNSP) organised the National Conference on the Rebuilding of Niger in February 2025. The conference brought together more than 780 participants from all socio-professional sectors of the country, including representatives from institutions, civil society, the private sector, the defence and security forces, trade unions and the media. Its main objectives were to create the conditions for lasting security across the country and to rebuild the country’s political and socio-economic system. To achieve this goal, five thematic committees were established, comprising qualified experts in their respective fields.
The five themes selected are as follows:
1. Peace, security, reconciliation and social cohesion
2. Political and constitutional reform
3. Economy and sustainable development
4. Geopolitics and the international environment
5. Justice and human rights
Following consultations on the major themes, several recommendations were made, notably:
• extension of the transition period for a duration of five years, with the possibility of extending it;
• reorganisation of state institutions;
• adoption of a new Charter of Reform;
• creation of new transitional institutions;
• the possibility for certain transition leaders to stand in future elections.
The elections were expected to be held in 2025; however, with the extension of the transitional period, it is uncertain when the next polls will be held. Some sources indicate that the legislative polls have been postponed indefinitely.
Women’s political participation and representation within the institutions of the transitional government.
Women’s participation within the new transitional institutions remains limited but significant. According to available data, women account 19.6% (38 out of 194) of the members of the Advisory Council for National Reconstruction.
Among the women appointed to the bureau of the Advisory Council for Rebuilding are:
• Ms Mounkaila Aissata Seyni, 5th Vice-Chair
• Ms Aissa Nana Sandi, 7th Vice-Chair
• Ms Ibrahim Tahirou Aissata, General Rapporteur
• Ms Ibrahim Ouma Kaltoum Daouda, Secretary
Several women also hold positions within certain administrative bodies and transition committees. However, the most strategic posts remain predominantly held by men, particularly in areas related to security and political governance.
The Charter of the Refoundation does not explicitly provide for a mandatory quota for women’s representation in transitional institutions. Consequently, women’s rights and civil society actors, such as the NGO Femmes, Actions et Développement (FAD) and the UPFN, continue to call for more inclusive participation by women in the political transition process and future institutional reforms.
What is next?
The transitional period in Niger following the 2023 coup continues. In 2025, the National Conference on the Rebuilding of Niger recommended that the transitional period continue for five years, with the possibility of extending it. Whilst the authorities promise a gradual return to constitutional order, many questions remain regarding the duration of the transition, the organisation of the next elections and the role of women in the country’s future political institutions.
Women make up 19.6% of the Advisory Council for National Reconstruction. However, the Charter of the Refoundation does not contain provisions on gender quotas. In 2019, however, Niger had set a 25% legislated candidate quota, and the law provided sanctions for parties failing to comply. Togolese women’s rights and civil society organisations actively work to ensure that women are included equally in the transition process and in the country’s future.