Niamey - Post Report Question and Answers
What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Embassy housing is huge but very... basic. Strange kitchens and bathrooms. All have pools. Some have large lawns. They are slowly upgrading the housing pool. - Aug 2022
Most housing was near to the Embassy. Houses are generally large, with anywhere from 3-6 bedrooms, usually with the same number of bathrooms. Some houses had large gardens, most had a swimming pool. From most homes, the commute was around 5 minutes by car, 15 if walking. - Apr 2020
Housing is large (five bedroom suites), postage stamp yard, but with a pool. Mango, lime, papaya, and banana trees in yard. - Jul 2019
We had a large house with a swimming pool, a 3-minute drive to the U.S. embassy. All of the houses are large, but the construction and finishes will look outdated. I recommend bringing shelving for storage in your kitchen and bathrooms. - Oct 2017
Large house with yard and pool. Commutes to the U.S. embassy are less than 5 minutes by car, and it is possible to walk or bike, although the roads are dirt. Homes are not well constructed, and have frequent issues with termites. - Oct 2017
Our housing was arranged by the embassy and the grand master extraordinaire of housing took good care of us for a very comfortable quality of life. Utility bills are high and power is hit or miss hour to hour and forget streaming video online or downloading anything. Commuting does not take time yet learning the "right of way" in traffic is based on who is bravest to cross the intersection first. Most expats tend to live in the south of Niamey just north of the river. - Aug 2015
Housing is fine here, and commute time is not bad as long as you miss the rush hour. Due to an influx in aid workers and diplomats, the housing prices in town have gone up -- though this can vary depending on what type of housing you need. - Jul 2013
