Niger

Greetings

Men greeting Men – A handshake with the right hand is the most common form of greeting. Handshakes are often combined with a touching of the right hand over the heart. Handshakes tend to be warm and linger quite a bit.

Women greeting Women - A handshake with the right hand is common as is raising both hands on each side of the face, open palm or closed fists. In certain urban areas a kiss on each cheek may be common as well.

Greetings between Men & Women – A verbal greeting or nod of acknowledgment tends to be the norm in most situations. It is taboo for religiously observant Muslim men to touch women and vice-versa.

Note: ALWAYS use the right hand when greeting. Greetings are extremely important in Nigerien culture. Most people will be offended if you do not greet first before beginning a conversation even if you just want to ask a question.

Communication Style

• Nigeriens tend to very direct and usually say exactly what they are thinking. For example, they may comment on anything that they observe such as “one is walking”.

Personal Space & Touch

• A little less than an arm’s length of personal space is acceptable during conversations. This space tends to be greater between members of the opposite sex and less for friends and family.
• It is common for men to hold hands or have their arms around each other often while chatting. This is purely a sign of friendship. This is common for women as well.
• Touching between genders in public is not very common as many consider it taboo.

Eye Contact

• Direct eye contact is acceptable and expected in most situations. However, women often avert their eyes from men in public.
• Foreigners tend to be stared at quite a bit.

Gestures

• Flicking your nose with your index finger means someone is lying.
• Waving your finger around your ear means someone is crazy.
• People often hiss to get someone’s attention.
• Always remove your shoes before entering a house/mosque/stepping on a mat.
• Pointing all of your fingers at someone (think claw) means the same as flipping someone off in Niger.
• People usually beckon each other by facing the palm to the ground and curling all of the fingers towards themselves in a scratching motion.

Views of Time

• The view of time in Niger is extremely varied. Most people use the term now (yanzu in Hausa) very liberally. People generally arrive whenever they feel like it, and meetings usually start once everyone arrives.
• It’s usually not rude to come late in rural areas, but in urban areas and most business situations, punctuality is appreciated.

Gender Roles

• Women are usually expected to raise the family and take care of the kids and men. There are women who work in schools and health sectors, but in the village most women just work in the home.
• Playing sports and playing cards and going to market are generally male activities.
• Foreign women are usually exempt, and can do pretty much anything that men do.
• Smoking and drinking by women is still not accepted by most men. (It is a Muslim country and so no one is supposed to be doing either of these, but it’s more acceptable for men)
• It’s widely thought that women who drink or smoke are prostitutes.

Taboos

• Always use your right hand to greet, eat or accept gifts. The left hand is considered unclean.

Law & Order

• Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.

Dress

• For Men- Slacks and a button down shirt, or traditional African outfit (loose-fitting top and pants in African print).
• For Women- Traditional African outfit (top and ankle-length skirt in African print), or other formal top and skirt. It’s rare to see local women in pants, especially in the village. It’s best for foreign women to avoid very revealing clothing, including sleeveless attire, mini-skirts, etc. Many women will wear a head covering as well. Dress tends to be more conservative the farther east you go.

Titles & Business Cards

• French titles ( Monsieur, Madame, Mademoiselle) are common in many situations, but in the village the teachers and doctors tend to be addressed as Muche (Hausafied monsieur) or Al Hadji (respected man) or Al Hadjia (respected/wealthy woman).

• When it comes to business cards, it is always advisable to pass everything with the right hand and receive with the right hand or both.

Meetings

• It’s best to show up on time for meetings, but that doesn’t always mean others will.
• It’s polite to greet everyone and then engage in small talk until the host decides they want to start talking business.

Negotiations

• At the marketplace, bargaining is always appropriate, and it does take patience. When you’re a foreigner, they almost always start at an outrageous price, and you should act shocked so they know that you know they’re being ridiculous.
• If they won’t lower their price sufficiently, walk away and they will call you back and lower the price. If they let you walk away, it’s generally because they were being honest about a reasonable price.

Other Observations

• In many areas the men eat with men and women with women unless specifically invited.

• Be respectful of everyone, dress nicely, no shorts, dirty clothing, women should be covered.
• Greet everyone, it’s very important to ask about the health, family, day, business etc.