Professions in Niger

Niger has no single national register or universal licence covering all professions. Local terms include métier and profession for an occupation, emploi for a job, corps, cadre and catégorie professionnelle for organized public-service groups, fonctionnaire for a tenured civil servant, agent contractuel for contractual staff, profession libérale for independent regulated practice, ordre professionnel for the body supervising a regulated profession, apprentissage for apprenticeship and auto-emploi for self-employment. These forms have different access rules and legal consequences. Occupational fields include agriculture, animal resources, education, public health, public works, mining, water services, transport, information technology, communication, administration, justice, taxation, finance, statistics, labour and social security, social services, sports, culture, surveying, cadastre and meteorology. Private and artisanal work also includes agro-food production, fishing, construction, metalwork, drilling, vehicle mechanics, computer maintenance, mechatronics, pastry, catering, hospitality and cosmetics. Public-service posts are organized into corps, categories A to D, scales, grades, classes and steps. Category A generally covers direction, design, coordination, control, studies and advice; category B covers supervision, assistance and application; category C covers specialized execution; category D covers routine execution. Direct public-service applicants generally need to be at least 18 and no older than 40 on 31 December, must pass the relevant competitive examination and must hold qualifications matching the corps. Exceptions can include recruitment based on qualifications and reserved positions. Professional applicants can generally be up to 50, including training time, and normally need at least three years of effective service after tenure or reclassification. Private occupations usually depend on the employer's requirements, experience and employment contract. Apprenticeship uses a written contract stating the occupation, duration, remuneration and courses, and normally ends with a CAP examination; alternance combines a training centre with a company or workshop. An ANPE programme in 2026 covers 13 occupations for applicants aged 18 to 40 with at least a CAP or BEP, but that programme does not create a general entry rule for every occupation. The Agence Nationale pour la Promotion de l'Emploi (ANPE) provides employment advice, placement, contracts, work cards, retraining and self-employment support. In documented access practice, job seekers register with ANPE and obtain an ANPE card; an identity card, passport or birth certificate is normally used, while a diploma and CV can be requested depending on the service. No universal ANPE fee is established in the available facts. Private-sector and public-establishment work generally follows the Labour Code, while civil servants follow the separate General Statute of the Public Service. The standard working time is 40 hours per week; agriculture uses a reference of 2,400 hours per year. Overtime attracts increased pay, weekly rest is at least 24 hours, and paid leave is generally 2.5 calendar days per month after 12 months of service, with reporting limited to 24 months. Maternity suspension lasts 14 weeks. Employers must provide pay and allowances, social contributions, hygiene and safety measures, protective equipment, safety training and protection from violence and harassment. Workers must perform the contracted task, follow lawful hierarchy and safety rules, protect confidential information and report danger. Child work below age 14 is prohibited except for a decree-based exception, and night work below age 18 is prohibited except under a special derogation. Public servants have union rights, conditional strike rights, training, salary and social protection, alongside duties of obedience, discretion, dignity and loyalty. Their careers can include a probationary stage, tenure, step or grade advancement, promotion, transfer, secondment and leave of absence. Regulated professions add sector-specific requirements. Lawyers need the relevant legal qualification, Barreau registration, the CAPA and a traineeship under Law 2004-42 and applicable UEMOA rules. Expert accountants and approved accountants follow Law 2003-023, Decree 2023-408 and ONECCA registration. Medical biologists are covered by the national professional order created by a 2023 government text, while pharmacists need registration with the Ordre National des Pharmaciens and authorization for private practice. Recognition therefore depends on the pathway: public employment uses the statutory corps and competition, private employment uses the contract and a work certificate stating the dates and nature of successive jobs, and regulated practice uses the competent order, official register and any required authorization. Foreign workers need a written contract, a visa from the public employment service and ministerial approval; national-skills priority applies, and approval is deemed granted after 30 days without a decision. Professional-order fees and processing times vary by occupation, and no universal tariff has been established.