Niger's new President Mohamed Bazoum (left) and former President of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou is photographed during his inauguration at the International Conference Center in Niamey on April 2, 2021. (PHOTO / AFP)

NIAMEY - Niger’s newly elected President Mohamed Bazoum has appointed former minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou as prime minister to lead his government, according to a decree read on national television late on Saturday.

Mahamadou until recently was the chief of staff of Bazoum’s predecessor President Mahamadou Issoufou.

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Mahamadou, 69, first held a ministerial position 1991 as mines and energy minister. He was Niger’s finance minister between 2011 and 2012, and was appointed chief of staff in 2015.

Bazoum was sworn in on Friday in Niger’s fist democratic transition of power since independence in 1960 after he won a runoff presidential election in February.

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