The Niger River in Bamako: the Djoliba, its rapids, dams and protection
The Niger, or Djoliba, Africa's third-longest river, runs through Bamako: its course from Guinea to the inner delta, the Sotuba and Kénié rapids, the Sankarani and Sélingué dam, the Office du Niger, the Niger River Basin Agency and the 2026–2035 National Water Policy.
Bamako was born on the banks of the Niger, which the Mande call the Djoliba. The river splits the city into two banks, supplies water, feeds fishers and market gardeners, and is the subject of a protection policy. Here is what to know about the river in Bamako.
Key points
- The Niger is Africa's third-longest river, after the Nile and the Congo; it runs through Guinea, Mali, Niger, Benin and Nigeria.
- It is joined by the Sankarani about forty kilometres upstream of Bamako.
- Between Bamako and Koulikoro it is marked by the Sotuba and Kénié rapids.
- Since 2002, the Niger River Basin Agency has been responsible for safeguarding it in Mali.
From Guinea to the inner delta
The Niger rises in Guinea, at 800 m altitude at the foot of the Loma Mountains, then makes a great loop on the edge of the Sahel before flowing into the Gulf of Guinea in Nigeria. Geographers divide its course into four parts:
| Part | Stretch |
|---|---|
| Upper Niger | from the source to Ké-Macina, via Bamako |
| Central (inner) delta | from Ké-Macina to Korioumé, near Timbuktu: a floodplain of nearly 40,000 km² where the river loses 25 to 50% of its water, mostly through evaporation |
| Middle Niger | from Korioumé to Jebba, in Nigeria, via Gao |
| Lower Niger | from Jebba to the ocean |
In Bamako, the river gradually widens towards Koulikoro, before a broad plain leads it to Ségou and the Markala dam.
The river in the city
Bamako spreads along both banks. Three road bridges link them, and a submersible causeway at Sotuba can be used at low water: see our page on Bamako's bridges. The city's very name, "crocodile river" in the most common explanation, refers to its waterways: see our history of Bamako. The great football club Djoliba AC is also named after the river.
Commercial navigation mostly takes place downstream, from Koulikoro towards Mopti and Gao, partly through the Compagnie malienne de navigation, according to Wikipedia.
Dams, irrigation and electricity
Since the 1980s and worsening droughts, the Niger has been heavily developed:
- the Office du Niger, created in 1932, develops irrigation, notably of rice fields;
- the Sélingué hydroelectric dam, on the Sankarani, produces electricity;
- the Niger Basin Authority (ABN), created in 1980, brings together the nine countries that share the basin.
For electricity in Bamako, see our page on EDM and SOMAGEP meters.
Protecting the river
- 2002: ordinance no. 02-049/P-RM of 29 March 2002 creates the Niger River Basin Agency (ABFN), a public body tasked with "safeguarding the Niger River, its tributaries and their catchments" in Mali. In 2018 it launched a project to collect water quality data around Bamako, to fight serious pollution.
- 2004: nine heads of state and government sign a declaration in Paris on the management and good governance of the Niger basin.
- 2026: decree no. 2026-0273/PT-RM approves the National Water Policy (PNE) 2026–2035 and its four implementation master programmes (Official Journal no. 11 of 2026).
Frequently asked questions
What is Bamako's river called?
The Niger, called the Djoliba in Mande languages.
How does the Niger compare with Africa's other rivers?
It is Africa's third-longest river, after the Nile and the Congo.
Who protects the Niger River in Mali?
The Niger River Basin Agency, created in 2002, with the Niger Basin Authority at regional level; the 2026–2035 National Water Policy sets the national framework.
Sources: Wikipedia (French), Niger (fleuve) and Bamako (river transport); Official Journal of the Republic of Mali no. 11 of 2026, decree no. 2026-0273/PT-RM (French) (table of contents).