Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languagesWinditen, Ikhia came from a wealthy
Tuareg
The Tuareg people (; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym: ''Imuhaɣ/Imušaɣ/Imašeɣăn/Imajeɣăn'') are a large Berber ethnic group that principally inhabit the Sahara in a vast area stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern Alg ...
family; his father was a prominent person from Taghagar. He received his primary education in Niamey and his higher education at Ecole William Ponty in
Dakar
Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from :wo:daqaar, daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar ...
. In 1941 he began teaching for
nomadic
A nomad is a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the popu ...
schools. He went on to become school director, first for the Ecole des enfants de troupe in Bingerville and later Ecole des Kel Gress d'Arzérori.
In 1946, he joined the Nigerien Progressive Party, the Nigerien affiliate of the
African Democratic Rally
African or Africans may refer to:
* Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa:
** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa
*** Ethn ...
. In 1948 he was elected to the general council of
Tahoua
Tahoua is a city in Niger and the administrative centre of the Department of Tahoua and the larger Tahoua Region.Tah ...
. Starting in 1948, he became active in the Nigerien teachers
trade union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...
movement. In 1949, he joined the
Union of Nigerien Independents and Sympathisers
The Union of Nigerien Independents and Sympathisers (french: Union nigérienne des indépendants et sympathisants, UNIS) was a political party in Niger.
History
UNIS was established in May 1948 by a mix of former members of the Nigerien Progres ...
(UNIS), a group affiliated with the
Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance
The Democratic and Socialist Union of the Resistance (french: Union démocratique et socialiste de la Résistance or UDSR) was a French political party founded after the liberation of France from German occupation and mainly active during the Fo ...
Georges Condat Georges may refer to:
Places
* Georges River, New South Wales, Australia
* Georges Quay (Dublin)
*Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Other uses
*Georges (name)
* ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas
* "Georges" (song), a 19 ...
(which won both Nigerien seats). The next year he was elected to the Nigerien Territorial Assembly, representing
Filingué
Filingue is a town in southwestern Niger and is the capital city of Filingue Department.
It is situated on the eastern bank of the Dallol Bosso valley, some 180 km northeast of Niger's capital city Niamey.
As pools of stagnant water remain in t ...
, and to the Grand Council of French West Africa. He remained in the Grand Council until 1957.
In the French National Assembly, he sat in the UDSR group until 1953. He then joined the Independent Overseas (IOM) group. In the National Assembly, he had several short tenures in the National Education Commission. In January 1953, he was included in the Industrial Production Commission. After his defection to the IOM, Zodi became politically isolated. Zodi stood as a candidate on the UNIS list in the 1956 election. He lost his seat, being roundly defeated by Condat's new list, the Nigerien Action Bloc.
After the election Zodi and his followers regrouped, and on March 6, 1957 they formed a new party called the
Nigerien Democratic Front
The Nigerien Democratic Front (french: Front démocratique nigérien, FDN) was a political party in Niger. It published the party journal ''L'Unité'' ('Unity').
History
The party was founded by Zodi Ikhia and his followers on March 6, 1957, as ...
(FDN). FDN was affiliated with the African Convention. He edited the party journal ''L'Unité'' (''Unity'').
When the first government of the Republic of Niger was formed on December 31, 1958, Ikhia was appointed Minister of Education, Youth and Sports. In his function as Minister of Education, he came into conflict with the Minister of Interior. In 1960 he was demoted to Secretary of State for National Defense. During this tenure, he visited
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
.
Zodi Ikhia later became Minister of African Affairs.Mamadou Dagra ''La politique extérieure du Niger (1974-1987) : contribution à l'étude des structures diplomatiques et de la politique africaine d'un Etat sahélien'' . THESE POUR LE DOCTORAT D'ETAT présentée et soutenue publiquement le 16 décembre 1987. UNIVERSITE CHEIKH ANTA DIOP - DAKAR FACULTE DES SCIENCES JURIDIQUES ET ECONOMIQUES.
In 1963, he took part in a failed coup d'etat. He was arrested and sentenced to death. He was pardoned from execution and his sentence was changed to imprisonment. He was released from jail in 1971. After release from jail, he withdrew from political life. He died in Niamey in 1996.