Speakers at a forum by Media Foundation for West Africa, on Monday predicted a bleak future for Niger, should the country's President go ahead with a referendum to amend the constitution.
They said Niger risked being isolated from the international community, which would result in sanctions that might make life difficult for the Nigeriens.
The forum, which took place in Accra, enabled civil society groups to express solidarity for the forces that resisted the constitutional manoeuvres being carried out by Mr Mamadou Tandja, President of Niger to allow him to stay in power for unlimited period.
The current constitution of Niger guarantees five year term of office.
It would be recalled that Mr Tandja dissolved the Nigerien Parliament as well as the Constitutional Court after both institutions objected to his bid to change the constitution to stay in power.
Currently Mr Tandja is ruling the country with decree and has scheduled a referendum for tomorrow Tuesday August 4, 2009, which opposition parties described as unconstitutional.
Mr Saidou Arji, a Nigerien Journalist and Human Rights Activist, who spoke at the forum, said the action of the President would lead to severing of economic ties by other trade partners worldwide.
Mr Arji said it was also likely to provide fertile grounds for military intervention, which might worsened the already volatile peace that some communities and states were enjoying in the West African sub-region.
In addition, he said, it might increase trafficking of small arms with the potential to destabilize the sub-region.
He, therefore, called on leaders of the sub-region as well as regional groupings and the international community to act swiftly to prevent Mr Tandja from plunging Niger into a mess by stopping him from holding the referendum.
He condemned China for tacitly supporting the Mr Tandja to embark on this unconstitutional exercise.
Mr Emmanuel Bombande, Executive Director of the West African Network for Peace Building, said the actions of the President were a setback to efforts being made to democratize, as well as strengthen constitutional rule in the sub-region.