Abdou Moumouni University of Niamey
	Abdou Moumouni University  Geography Department of Niamey FLSH B.P. 237 ou 10 896 Niamey  Niger B.P. 418 Niamey phone: (227) 73 27 13 phone: (227)  73 61 44 ou 73 35 89 Fax  (227) 73 38 62 Fax  (227)  73 61 44 ou 72 30 60 Télex : UNINIM 5258  email : depgeo@ intnet.ne

1) Fields of education
Founded in 1971, the Abdou Moumouni University offers education in five faculties (natural sciences, agronomy, social sciences, medicine, economics and law), one High School for Education and a Centre of Excellence specialised in regional agronomy. The degrees offered are equivalent to B.Sc and M.Sc..

2) Scientific research
The research programmes are conducted within the faculties, institutes and the high school. They are directly concerned with development questions like: nutrition deficits, staple production, environmental protection, resource management, desertification, education, economics, cultural development, human resources and human rights. A number of publications appear every year in international journals as well as the yearbook of the university itself.
 

The Geography Department

1) Education with emphasis on field experience and in  relation to the population
Founded in 1973 the Geography Department has focussed the education on development related subjects.  Main emphasis is on rural development, environmental protection, and demographic development in the countryside and urban centres. Recently the technical capability has been ameliorated by audio-visual equipment and GIS technologies. Four wheel drive cars are available for field research. Nowadays, the staff is completely of national origin and covers the following fields:
 

ADAMOU ABOUBACAR
- Regional planning
- Population geography
- Geography of rural areas

ISSA OUSSEINI
- Techniques and methods in physical geography
- Geomorphology
- Bio-geography
- Analyses of natural and rural environments

BRAH MOUSSA
- Cartography
- Geography of economics
- Regional geography of Niger

YAMBA BOUBACAR
- Climatology
- Bio-geography
- Techniques and methods in human geography

AMADOU BOUREIMA
- Rural Geography of the hot tropics
- Geography of underdevelopment

MOTCHO KOKOU  HENRI
- Population geography
- Urban geography
- Villages of "Black Africa"

BOUZOU MOUSSA IBRAHIM
- Structural geomorphology
- Climatic geomorphology
- Physical geography of arid and semi-arid regions

SALLAH ALHASSANE
- Regional geography of underdeveloped countries
- Agricultural geography
- Regional geography of developed countries

LAOUALI DAMBO
- Computer cartography
 

The department envisions the creation of a branch concerned with physical amelioration of the environment. Within two years practical work and exercises are conducted with the aim to train technicians with regard to conservation and restoration of ecosystems and the evaluation of the relevance of development projects.

2) Research with focus on development
The department is mainly involved in research dedicated to the problems of the national development like poverty, environmental degradation, demographic pressure, urbanisation, pastoralism, decentralisation, and tourism. The department is involved in several national and international multidisciplinary programmes.

Main research subjects of the department staff have been the following:

ADAMOU ABOUBACAR 1979 : - Agadez et sa Région - Contribution à l'étude du Sahel et du Sahara Nigériens- Thèse, Université de Lyon, 1976 -  Etudes Nigériennes n° 44 Paris- Niamey, 1979,  358p.

OUSSEINI ISSA, 1986 - Étude de la répartition des formations sableuses et interprétation des dépôts éoliens dans le Liptako oriental (République du Niger) - Thèse 3ème cycle, Mémoires des Sciences de la Terre n°86,35, Université Pierre et Marie CURIE (Paris VI), 233 p.

AMADOU BOUREIMA, 1991 - Contribution à l'étude et à l'aménagement des ressources du milieu naturel; Exemple de la colonisation des nouvelles terres et  dynamique des agrosystèmes le long du Goroubi au Niger,  Université de Bordeaux III,Thèse de Géographie, Avril 1991, 279 p.

BOUZOU MOUSSA IBRAHIM, 1988 - L'érosion dans la vallée de Keita (Adar-Niger); Contribution géomorphologique. Thèse de l'Université Joseph Fourier. Grenoble, France. 248p.

MOTCHO KOKOU HENRI, 1991- Cadre de vie et systèmes de santé à Niamey (Niger) - Bordeaux, Université Michel de Montaigne de Bordeaux III, Thèse de Géographie, 1991. 309 p.

YAMBA BOUBACAR,1993.Ressources ligneuses et problèmes d'aménagement forestier dans la zone agricole du Niger. Institut d'aménagement, Thèse de Doctorat, Université de Bordeaux, 1993.

SALLAH ALHASSANE, 1994 - L'Homme et l'environnement sahélien; Évolution des agrosystèmes et crise de gestion de l'espace dans le Damergou (Niger), Abidjan, Thèse de Doctorat, Université d'Abidjan.
 

3) From experience to application
Out of the department a group of consultants (GEOCONSULT) has formed with emphasis on the following subjects: lecturing and education, geographic studies, cartography.
The objectives are:
- participation of research staff of the department in development oriented applied research studies
- funding acquisition
- application of national scientific knowledge for the development of diagnostic tools for applied research programmes in the field.

GEOCONSULT already conducted several studies in the  countryside and cities of Niger:
GEOCONSEIL, B.P. 418 Niamey Niger ,Tel : 73 61 44 ou 73 35 89, Fax  : 72 30 36, E-Mail : dépgeo@intnet.ne

The Association of Nigrian Geographers has the objective to facilitate research in the field of geography and to promote meetings of professionals. It is member in the African Geographer Association and the International Geographical Union. The first Public Day of Geography hosted by the association took place in 1993 with the subject: "Development problems in the Sahel – which role does Geography play ?"

4) Inter-universitary co-operation
Regular contacts are established with geography departments in Benin, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. International relations and exchange programmes exist with the geography institutes of the universities in Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lausanne and Würzburg. These activities include exchange of students and scientific material and common research projects and publications.