 A German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pledged her country's support to tackle Niger's rising security challenges. She will speak in during a visit of President Mohamed Bazoum to Berlin. Merkel said there were at least three conflict zones which Niger needs to tackle. When President Bazoum took office, he said the country was recording low school attendance in high drop-out rates. He added at the time that with a fertility rate of around seven children per woman, Niger held the world record and fastest rate of population growth.