Niger’s government has shuttered 400 private security companies by ministerial decree, implementing a sweeping sector-wide reset in an effort to impose tighter conditions and oversight on an industry previously marked by legal ambiguity and fragmented operations. Signed by Interior Minister Mohamed Toumba on September 18, the measure applies new legal standards devised earlier in the year, setting stricter requirements for licensing, management vetting, and arms controls. Existing firms were given a six-month window to comply or face dissolution.

Officials described the consolidation as a move to address proliferation and informal practices that posed risks to public safety and left workers exposed to low wages and insufficient protections. The latest order, spanning 12 pages and naming well-known operators as well as smaller entities, signals a pivot toward formal regulation and government supervision.

Thousands of security workers now face immediate job loss, while businesses and institutions reliant on outside protection must seek new, compliant service providers. The broader impact of the reform—and whether it will deliver both improved public safety and better employment standards—remains to be seen. Policymakers face the additional challenge of facilitating the transition for displaced workers and ensuring that the industry meets higher performance benchmarks going forward.