Niger’s new regional plan aims to boost security against insurgents

The military-led administration under General Abdourahamane Tiani is advancing a sweeping administrative overhaul to strengthen its fight against armed groups in Niger. On May 12, 2026, the Ministry of Interior, Public Security and Territorial Administration unveiled plans to expand the country’s regional structure from eight to nineteen regions and increase departments from 63 to 82. The proposal, presented to the Council for the Refoundation (CCR) by Abdoulkader Hama, Director-General of Territorial Administration, aligns with the government’s broader refoundation strategy spearheaded by Tiani and Interior Minister General Mohamed Toumba.