Since 1975, it is also Arbor Day, as trees are planted across the nation to aid the fight against desertification.
Between 18 December 1958 and 3 August 1960, Niger remained a semi-autonomous Republic within the French Community.
At the beginning of 1960 a revision of the French Community allowed membership of independent states, and on 28 July the Nigerien Legislative Assembly became the Nigerien National Assembly: Independence was declared on 3 August 1960.
In 1975, the government began celebrating Independence Day, in part, through the coordinated mass planting of trees in order to fight desertification.
[2][3] Independence Day is celebrated in Niger with official festivals and appearances of political leaders, an official broadcast by the President as well as the tradition (since 1975) that every Nigerien plant a tree.