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The country of Niger, like neighboring Nigeria, takes its name from the Niger River, the main river of western Africa, which runs through Nigeria, Mali, Niger, Benin and Guinea. In 1993, (35 years after independence from France), Niger held its first free and open elections. A 1995 peace accord ended a five-year Tuareg insurgency in the north. A National Reconciliation Council was formed in response to coups in 1996 and 1999 and it enabled a transition to civilian rule by December 1999. Then in 2009, Tandja Mamadou, the pesident who had first been elected in thie 1999 election, attempted to extend his rule by modifying the constitution and dissolving the Constitutional Court by assuming emergency powers. Ultimately, a coup d'état toppled Mamadou, and returned Niger to an electoral democracy. The current president, Mahamadou Issoufou, was elected in 2010 and has served since April, 2011, having been elected again in February 2016.
With societal tolerance of other religions still the official stance of Niger, there's still opportunity for believers to reach Muslims in Niger. Reports on religious adherence are mixed: some sources claim about 80% of the country is Muslim, others, over 98%. Muslims protesting a cartoon of Muhammad which appeared in the French magazine Charlie Hebdo destroyed 72 church buildings and killed at least 10 people on January 16 and in the following days. Niger is #49 on Open Doors' "World Watch List." It has been said that even after eighty-five years of Protestant missionary work in Niger, the church remains small and statistics suggest that Nigeriens themselves represent less than half of the membership in local churches.
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Niger is a republic. The President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, is head of state, while the Prime Minister, Brigi Rafini, is head of government, and of a multi-party system. The Legislature is unicameral, with 171 members.
Mahamadou Issoufou, president of Niger since April, 2011
Brigi Rafini, Prime Minister of Niger since April, 2011
Christian ministries operating
Only a small minority claims the Christian faith. The overwhelming majority is Muslim, with 76% of the people listed as unreached ethnic groups. Christianity is slowly growing through humanitarian efforts such as well-digging, agricultural development, and education. The number of Evangelicals triples every year, though that is not keeping up with population growth. The cultural pressure to maintain the Islamic faith continues to hinder outreach efforts, though indigenous pastors, many of whom have converted to Christianity from Islam themselves, are stepping up as leaders in the fledgling church. Niger still has the taste of political freedom on their tongue. May spiritual freedom in Christ soon quench their eternal thirst with His bottomless well of compassion.
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There are an estimated 19 physicians per million population. According to the Save the Children organization, Niger has the world's highest infant mortality rate, currently estimated at 82.8 per 1,000. Nigerien mothers bear an average of 7 children, giving it the world's highest birth rate, and since this rate is actually lower than the number of children typically desired, it is not likely to decline soon. About 50% of the population is below the age of 15 and Niger has the world's 4th highest population growth overall.
The IHME mortality chart for Niger reveals that conditions related to insufficient nutrition and unsafe water make up the largest blocks of morbidity statistics (about 20%) compared to .0013% for the USA.
Niger is one of the hottest countries in the world. The rainy season is from May through October, with most rain in July and August. At Niamey, the average maximum daily temperature fluctuates from 31° C (88° F ) in August to 41° C (106° F ) in April. Nights are cool (below 20° C /68° F ) from November to February. Niger has experienced a number of droughts, which led to food shortages and even famines since it's independence in 1963.
Niger is in West Africa, bordered by Algeria, Benin, Burina Faso, Chad, Librya, Mali and Nigeria.
Conditions are harsh in Niger, with the Sahara Desert occupying much of the country. This causes the population to be concentrated along the southern border with Nigeria. The major export in the last 40 years has been uranium, as Niger has some of the world’s largest uranium deposits. In recent years, demand for uranium has dropped significantly, which has hurt the economy. In 2011, Niger began producing oil, with an estimated 18,000 barrels being produced each day. Subsistence agriculture supports the majority of the population, and the poverty rate of 48.9% and per capita income of $420 make Niger one of the world’s poorest nations.
Niger is still subject to Polio, Meningitis and Measles outbreaks, and has especially struggled with Malaria, which appeared to be declining until a resurgence in 2016. There are an estimated 49,000 people in Niger living with AIDS and 69,000 have been orphaned because of AIDS.
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GMO's Stats on Niger
In 2015, we had 239,201 visits, 33,624 indicated decisions and 7,090 Discipleship Visits from Niger. We have no Online Missionaries in Niger.
"I've been dreaming constantly about heaven and hell, and I'm seeing Jesus christ warning me about d whole world saying, he's giving us last chance to repent. and dat he's coming soon. I dreamt about dis last night, 2 days ago and last week also. please help me cuz I don't want to go to hell."
—Chibuzor Umerah, Nigerien contact on WhoisJesus-really.com
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Member Prayer Requests/Praise Report from last week
Barbara: Her health has been good. Son with PTSD left for Virginia. Had to go into the VA Hospital; Connection between Hawaii and Israel-study from Ruth about how gentles & Jews more connected than ever; Conference call prayer + national repentance. Believes Church age coming to an end. Couple of different shootings in Hawaii Beach. Shooter was someone who used to come to Barbara’s church.
Frank: Pray for children and parents affected by school shootings; Persecution ramping up in East Congo.
Deborah: Pray for Mt Sinai MB Church.
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