Niger is a land-locked country in Western Africa bordered by Libya, Chad, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Algeria. The workforce in Niger is made up of nearly 10.5 million people (2024), and has a GDP of 17.45 billion US dollars (2024).

The economy of Niger is developing and has experienced interest from companies on other countries due to its strategic location in Africa, providing access to other markets in West Africa. It is also prominent in industries such as agriculture, mining, and the energy sector, and boasts a youthful labor force.

This help guide will provide information that companies need to employ compliantly in Niger, such as the mandatory employee benefits that workers are entitled to, and the local labor laws that must be fully understood. We’ll alsoe explain some supplementary benefits that employers should consider offering, and details on how Remote People can help you do business in Niger.

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Niger Labor Law

The main law that explains the rights and obligations of employers/employees in Niger is the Labor Code, which was amended as recently as 2012.

This act is a legal framework which provides information on employee benefits such as set working hours, the right to a minimum wage, parental leave, and notice periods.

Some other acts that give more insight into labor laws in Niger include:

  • Law on Combating Trafficking in Persons, 2010
  • Constitution of the VIIth Repubublic of Niger, 2010
  • 20 June 1997 to Establish Public Holidays, as amended to Act No. 98-05 of 29 April 1998
  • Inter-Professional Collective Agreement 2022

When employing people in Niger, it’s very important to speak with legal experts to ensure all labor laws are abided. Ensuring compliance can simplify the process of hiring in Niger and reduce the risks of penalties or legal implications.

Mandatory Employee Benefits in Niger

There are a range of mandatory employee benefits in Niger that workers are entitled to. We’ve detailed some of these in the sections below: 

Social Security Contributions

The Niger Social Security System focuses on providing financial support to the most vulnerable people in the country.

This includes programs involving disability, injury, unemployment, and old-age.

Insured employees must make contributions of 5.25% of their monthly earnings – this contribution should be allocated by the employer as part of their overall contributions.

Employers are responsible for allocating 6.25% of their monthly covered payroll towards social security.

Annual Paid Leave

Employees in Niger are entitled to 30 days of annual leave to the rate of 2.5 days per calendar month. Annual leave rises along with length of service as per the following:

Years of ServiceExtra Annual Leave
Over 20 years2 extra days
Over 25 years4 extra days
Over 30 years6 extra days

Workers under the age of 21 are entitled to 30 days of holiday per year, and mothers under the age of 21 may take an additional 2 days of leave per child under the age of 15. Mothers over the age of 21 may take an extra 2 days of leave for each child after their third child.

Working Hours

Normal working hours in Niger are 40 hours per week, or 173.33 hours per month. Employees in the following industries have different set hours:

OccupationMaximum Working Hours per Week
Sales staff (pharmacies/retail)42 hours
Hospital/nursing home staff, staff in bakeries, and hotel cooks45 hours
Drivers/transport sector workers48 hours
Beauty salon/hotel workers (except cooks)50 hours
Taxi drivers52 hours
Inland navigation of vessels workers54 hours
Guard/surveillance personnel56 hours
Night guards72 hours

Working hours for agricultural workers are limited to 2,400 hours per year.

Workers are entitled to a 24-hour rest period in every 1-week period, and night work consists of hours worked between the hours of 10 pm and 5 am.

Overtime Pay

Hours worked over an employee’s normal contracted hours are considered overtime. Overtime hours are generally limited to 8 hours per week, and are paid as follows:

Overtime HoursPay Rate
First 8 hours125% of normal hourly rate
Beyond 8 hours135% of normal hourly rate

Daily overtime should not exceed 2 hours per day and 150 hours per year.

Night workers are entitled to an increased wage of 150% of their normal pay.

Public Holiday Leave

Niger has a number of public holidays that are usually offered as paid days off to workers.

The public holidays in Niger in 2025 are:

  • New Year (1 January)
  • Lailat al-Qadr (27 March)
  • Eid al-Fitr (30 March)
  • Easter Monday (21 April)
  • Concord Day (24 April)
  • Labour Day (1 May)
  • Eid al-Adha (6 June)
  • Eid al-Adha Holiday (7 June)
  • Muharram – Tentative Date (27 June)
  • Anniversary of CNSP Coup (26 July)
  • Nigerien Independence Day (3 August)
  • The Prophet’s Birthday – (varies)
  • Nigerien Republic Day (18 December)
  • Christmas Day (25 December)

Sick Leave

The maximum amount of time a worker in Niger can have off as sick leave is limited to 6 months.

Monthly income when on sick leave depends on the length of service with an employer and can be calculated as follows:

Years of ServiceSick Leave Entitlement
1 year or less3 months (1 month with full pay, 2 months with half pay)
2–5 years4 months (1 month with full pay, 3 months with half pay)
More than 5 years6 months (2 months with full pay, 4 months with half pay)

Maternity Leave

Female employees in Niger are entitled to 14 weeks of maternity leave if they have a baby.

This is usually taken as 6 weeks before birth and 8 weeks after birth. 

Maternity leave is paid at the full rate of pay for an employee, with half of the wages being paid by the employer and the remainder being paid by the Social Security system.

Paternity Leave

There is no statutory provision in the Labour Code for paid or unpaid paternity leave.

However, inthe Inter-Professional Collective Agreement states that male workers are entitled to 1 day of paternity leave if the worker has completed at least 6 months of service.

Pensions

Niger operates under an old-age pension which is a mandatory contributory scheme for all employees in Niger. This applies for both private and public sector workers.

Both employers and employees contribute to the scheme into a pension fund. 

Severance Pay

Similarly to paternity pay, there is no statutory provision in the Labour Code for severance pay. 

However, the Inter-Pofessional Collective Agreement states that a worker with at least 1 year of service with an employer should receive severance pay provided that they haven’t committed any serious misconduct.

This is calculated as follows:

Individual Dismissals For Personal Reasons

Years of ServiceSeverance Pay Rate
1–5 years25% of monthly salary per year
6–10 years35% of monthly salary per year
11+ years40% of monthly salary per year

Termination For Economic, Technological, and Structural Reasons:

Years of ServiceSeverance Pay Rate
1–5 years30% of monthly salary per year
6–10 years35% of monthly salary per year
11+ years40% of monthly salary per year

Termination Due to Retirement of Worker or Death

Years of ServiceSeverance Pay Rate
1–5 years30% of monthly salary per year
6–10 years35% of monthly salary per year
11+ years45% of monthly salary per year

Supplementary Employee Benefits in Niger

It’s advised that employers consider offering supplementary benefits in addition to mandatory benefits to improve the number of applications received for job roles and increase overall staff retention.

Some examples of additional benefits you could offer employees include:

  • Performance bonuses
  • Transport, food, or housing allowances
  • Company car
  • Flexible working
  • Private pensions
  • Advanced training opportunities
  • Enhanced leave entitlement

Optimize Employee Benefits with Remote People

Remote People makes it easier to manage employee benefits and stay compliant with labor laws in Niger through our Employer of Record (EOR) services.

By acting as the legal employer, the EOR handles key responsibilities such as ensuring benefit entitlements, managing certain tax obligations, and drafting compliant employment contracts. This allows your business to operate efficiently in Niger without the complexities of setting up a local legal entity.

Get in touch with Remote People to see how we can help your company expand into Niger.