Includes steps involved in establishing a local office.
Last Published: 6/26/2017
There are no restrictions on foreign companies opening a local office in Niger, though they must obtain a business certificate from the Ministry of Commerce.  The “Guichet Unique,” or one-stop-shop, at the local Chamber of Commerce is the first step towards establishing a business in Niger and qualifying for investment incentives. Committed to simplifying the registration process and to establishing an investor-friendly image for Niger, this one-stop-shop aims to reduce the amount of time required for the simple registration of a business to three days.  Foreign investors need a notary to register and incorporate companies under the newly created OHADA, a regional initiative to harmonize commercial codes in Francophone Africa.  The most common legal forms of incorporation are as the branch of a foreign company (“succursale”), the limited liability company (“Société à Responsabilité Limitée – SARL”) and the public corporation (“Société anonyme – SA”). Once registered, a branch is regarded as a Nigerien judicial entity.  Note: In French practice, the notaire or notary has completely different functions from a U.S. notary.  The notaire is a specialist in contracts and legal documents.
  • All limited liability corporations (SARLs) must have a minimum capitalization of CFA 100,000 (approximately $170) and at least one shareholder.
  • The minimum capital required to create a public corporation is CFA 1 million (approximately $1,700) with a minimum of one shareholder.
  • Other types of business structures exist and include sole proprietorship, regional office, local agency and distributorship.

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.