Editing Transport in Niger (section)

==Waterways==
[[File:NigerNiamey.jpg|thumb|right|the [[Niger River]] from southern Niamey, with the [[Kennedy Bridge (Niamey)|Kennedy Bridge]] in the distance. Seasonally shallow and broken by rapids, the river is difficult for large boats to navigate.]]
The [[Niger River]] is navigable 300&nbsp;km from [[Niamey]] to [[Gaya, Niger|Gaya]] on the [[Benin]] frontier from mid-December to March.  Thereafter, a series of falls and rapids rendered the Niger unnavigable in all seasons. In the navigable stretches, shallows prevent all but the small draft African canoes ([[Pirogue]]s and Pinnases) from operating in many areas. There are four major bridges over the Niger, three in Niamey (The [[Kennedy Bridge (Niamey)|Kennedy Bridge]], the Seyni Kountche Bridge and the Niger-Chinese friendship bridge<ref>Google maps https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bac+Fari%C3%A9/@13.5081106,2.0689566,8248m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x11da6f1baefddb59:0x3a533732c7d35977!8m2!3d13.7848079!4d1.6440483!16s%2Fg%2F11c7t1mys4</ref> the fourth at Bac Farie:<ref>Google maps: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bac+Fari%C3%A9/@13.7812087,1.6202239,14957m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x11da6f1baefddb59:0x3a533732c7d35977!8m2!3d13.7848079!4d1.6440483!16s%2Fg%2F11c7t1mys4</ref> plus the Niger River bridge at Gaya crosses into Benin.

Despite having no ocean or deep draft river ports, Niger does operate a port authority. Niger relies on the port at [[Cotonou]] ([[Benin]]), and to a lesser degree [[Lomé]] ([[Togo]]), and [[Port Harcourt]] ([[Nigeria]]), as its main route to overseas trade. [[Abidjan]] was in the process of regaining Niger's port trade, following the disruption of the [[First Ivorian Civil War|Ivorian Civil War]], beginning in 1999.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120714020531/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5327/is_346/ai_n30892910/ Abidjan port regains its regional importance] African Business, Oct, 2008 by Marcel Gossio.</ref> Niger operates a Nigerien Ports Authority station, as well as customs and tax offices in a section of Cotonou's port, so that imports and exports can be directly transported between [[Gaya, Niger|Gaya]] and the port. French Uranium mines in [[Arlit]], which produce Niger's largest exports by value, travel through this port to France or the world market.