Supporters of Niger's junta were forced on Saturday to halt a census of people willing to volunteer for non-military roles in defence against a possible intervention by West African powers, saying they had been overwhelmed by the numbers who turned up.

Organisers of the Niamey recruitment drive said they did not intend to sign up volunteers for the army, but rather to gather a list of people willing to lend their civilian skills in case ECOWAS attacks.

But many of those around the stadium appeared keen to fight.

"Most of the young people who have come are unemployed. Getting registered is a blessing for us given the idleness and lack of work," he said.

The coup and subsequent international sanctions have piled extra pressure on Niger's struggling economy. It is one of the world's least developed countries with more than 40% of the population living in extreme poverty, according to the World Bank.

Nobody wants to be exploited, smh.