Adamou Mayaki
Encyclopedia
Adamou Mayaki was a Niger
ien politician and diplomat. Mayaki was the Foreign Minister of Niger from 1963–1965, and a leading member of the ruling PPN-RDA party.
Mayaki was born in Filingué
in 1919. His family was of a royal Sudié line, a Hausa
speaking subgroup which governed the town under French colonial rule. His grandfather was the first French appointed Chef du Canton of the area, and his father was Serkin of Filingué until 1935. Mayaki attended the French teachers college at Kati, Mali, became a civil engineer, and became active in politics in 1946 as a leader of the Niger Action Bloc (BNA), which later became the Union of Nigerien Independents and Sympathizers (UNIS), one of two pre-independence parties contesting the 1952 territorial elections. Mayaki was elected to the Nigerien Territorial Assembly in March 1952 from Maradi and was reelected in 1956. From 1952 he also served on the Grand Council of French West Africa, and from 1953 as Niger colony's representative to the French Union
and in 1958, after the UNIS split, was elected to the first Territorial National Assembly from the PPN-RDA led Union for the Franco-African Community (UCFA). The UCFA was a front aligned with the PPN which proposed continued membership in the French Community
, and opposed immediate independence proposed by the PPN's rival SAWABA
party. The 1958 election deposed SAWABA (which some other UNIS members had joined) from the Assembly, and Mayaki became a prominent member of Hamani Diori
's first semi-independent Nigerien government.
Mayaki had been the Territory's Minister of Agriculture from May 1957, and after the UCFA victory, he became Niger's first Minister of the Interior. In December 1958 he became Minister of Economics and Planning. After full independence in 1960, Mayaki became Minister of Commerce and Industry. In 1963 he took over from President Diori the as Foreign Minister of Niger.
SAWABA militants, after their party had been decreed illegal in 1959, launched a series of sabotage attacks and border raids in 1964 and 65. In response, the PPN moved a number of members who had at one time belonged to rival parties, Mayaki among them. He became Nigerien ambassador to the United States from 1965 to 1970, prefect of Dosso Region (then named "department"), and in 1973 president of the Nigerien state trucking company, the SNTN. When the First Republic was overthrown in the 1974 Nigerien coup d'état
, Mayaki managed to retain a government post, and Secretary to the Nigerien Ministry of Finance. He retired in 1976.
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
ien politician and diplomat. Mayaki was the Foreign Minister of Niger from 1963–1965, and a leading member of the ruling PPN-RDA party.
Mayaki was born in Filingué
Filingue
Filingue is a town in southwestern Niger and is the capital city of Filingue Department. It is near to Niger's capital city Niamey....
in 1919. His family was of a royal Sudié line, a Hausa
Hausa language
Hausa is the Chadic language with the largest number of speakers, spoken as a first language by about 25 million people, and as a second language by about 18 million more, an approximate total of 43 million people...
speaking subgroup which governed the town under French colonial rule. His grandfather was the first French appointed Chef du Canton of the area, and his father was Serkin of Filingué until 1935. Mayaki attended the French teachers college at Kati, Mali, became a civil engineer, and became active in politics in 1946 as a leader of the Niger Action Bloc (BNA), which later became the Union of Nigerien Independents and Sympathizers (UNIS), one of two pre-independence parties contesting the 1952 territorial elections. Mayaki was elected to the Nigerien Territorial Assembly in March 1952 from Maradi and was reelected in 1956. From 1952 he also served on the Grand Council of French West Africa, and from 1953 as Niger colony's representative to the French Union
French Union
The French Union was a political entity created by the French Fourth Republic to replace the old French colonial system, the "French Empire" and to abolish its "indigenous" status.-History:...
and in 1958, after the UNIS split, was elected to the first Territorial National Assembly from the PPN-RDA led Union for the Franco-African Community (UCFA). The UCFA was a front aligned with the PPN which proposed continued membership in the French Community
French Community
The French Community was an association of states known in French simply as La Communauté. In 1958 it replaced the French Union, which had itself succeeded the French colonial empire in 1946....
, and opposed immediate independence proposed by the PPN's rival SAWABA
Sawaba
The Union of Popular Forces for Democracy and Progress-Sawaba is a political party in Niger, founded as the Nigerien Democratic Union in 1954. The original party, founded by Nigerien Progressive Party co-leader Djibo Bakary when he was expelled from the PPN...
party. The 1958 election deposed SAWABA (which some other UNIS members had joined) from the Assembly, and Mayaki became a prominent member of Hamani Diori
Hamani Diori
Hamani Diori was the first President of the Republic of Niger. He was appointed to that office in 1960, when Niger gained independence.- Youth :...
's first semi-independent Nigerien government.
Mayaki had been the Territory's Minister of Agriculture from May 1957, and after the UCFA victory, he became Niger's first Minister of the Interior. In December 1958 he became Minister of Economics and Planning. After full independence in 1960, Mayaki became Minister of Commerce and Industry. In 1963 he took over from President Diori the as Foreign Minister of Niger.
SAWABA militants, after their party had been decreed illegal in 1959, launched a series of sabotage attacks and border raids in 1964 and 65. In response, the PPN moved a number of members who had at one time belonged to rival parties, Mayaki among them. He became Nigerien ambassador to the United States from 1965 to 1970, prefect of Dosso Region (then named "department"), and in 1973 president of the Nigerien state trucking company, the SNTN. When the First Republic was overthrown in the 1974 Nigerien coup d'état
1974 Nigerien coup d'état
The 1974 Nigerien coup d'état was a largely bloodless military insurrection which overthrew the first postcolonial government of the West African nation of Niger...
, Mayaki managed to retain a government post, and Secretary to the Nigerien Ministry of Finance. He retired in 1976.