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This article aims to contribute to understanding the formalization dynamics of informal entrepreneur, who is key player in the economic activity in Africa in general and in Niger in particular. A qualitative study of 12 informal micro-entrepreneurs in Niger reveals that the main characteristics of the informal entrepreneur constraining his willingness to formalize include the very small scale of his activities, the inertia he displays in carrying them out, his necessity-driven entrepreneurial motivation, his simultaneous commitment to several activities, and his bounded capacity to access resources. JEL Codes: L26, M2, O17