Abdou Moumouni University was formerly the University of Niamey from 1974 to 1994. On the right bank of the Niger River in Niamey, its students and faculty have historically been involved in protest movements in the capital.
Enrollment
The university had a total enrollment of around 8,000 in early 2007; 7,000 as of June 2006, which was a growth of 1,000 over the previous decade. Notable faculty include Bouli Ali Diallo.
Name
The university is named after former Professor Abdou Moumouni Dioffo, a Nigerien educator, intellectual, and president of the university. From 1974 to 1994, the institution was named the University of Niamey. The university was an outgrowth of the 1971 "Centre d'Enseignement Superieur", which consolidated a number of post-secondary and trade schools founded in the years following independence. Under French colonial rule, there were no post-secondary institutions in Niger.
Structure
The Université Abdou Moumouni includes a wide array of public institutions. These include:
The University Institutes of Technology are tech schools in the regional capitals of Tahoua, Maradi, and Zinder created in October 2006, and operating from 2007 to 2008. In 2009 it was decided in the National Assembly that the campuses would be integrated into the Université Abdou Moumouni. In 2011, new universities were created in Maradi, Tahoua and Zinder to which the University Institutes of Technology were integrated. The IUTs offer a degree, called the "Diplome Universitaire De Technologie" in a one- to two-year program for students who have completed a Baccalaureate or equivalent. Programs vary by location:
On 9 February 1990, 20 students in a peaceful march across the Kennedy Bridge into the Niamey City Centre were killed by police and armed forces. This event, known as the 'Kennedy Bridge Massacre' has since been seen as pivotal in bringing about popular alienation from the government of General Ali Saibou.
2006 protests
In June 2006, the university temporarily closed due to protests and rioting. The 'Union des étudiants nigériens de l’Université de Niamey' called a general strike against the alleged withholding of scholarships as well as the deterioration of living and working conditions at the university. Students clashed with police, lit 10 vehicles on fire, while police used tear gas and batons on the students to prevent them from crossing the Kennedy Bridge, seriously injuring 10.
