Niger to nationalise uranium mine operated by French state-affiliated firm

Niger’s nationalisation of Somair mine operated by Orano comes as it moves away from France and seeks closer ties with Russia.

Niger plans to nationalise a uranium mine operated by French nuclear firm Orano as it continues to pivot away from former colonial ruler, France.

The company, which is 90 percent owned by the French state, said on Friday that Niger’s military rulers’ planned nationalisation of the Somair mine was part of a “systematic policy of stripping mining assets”, threatening to take legal action over the move.

The military government – which came to power in a 2023 coup, pledging to review mining concessions – had said a day prior that it intended to take control of the Somair mine, accusing Orano of taking a disproportionate share of uranium produced at the site.

Orano holds a 63 percent stake in Somair, while Niger’s state-owned Sopamin owns the remainder, but the government said that Orano had taken 86.3 percent of production between the mine’s launch in 1971 and 2024.

“Faced with the irresponsible, illegal, and unfair behaviour by Orano, a company owned by the French state, a state openly hostile toward Niger since July 26, 2023 … the government of Niger has decided, in full sovereignty, to nationalise Somair,” the authorities said on Thursday.

Wave of nationalisations

Niger’s military leaders have turned their back on France since taking power, seeking closer ties with Russia instead.

In 2024, Niger removed Orano’s operational control of its three main mines in the country: Somair, Cominak and Imouraren, which has one of the largest uranium deposits in the world.

On Friday, Orano said it intended “to claim compensation for all of its damages and assert its rights over the stock corresponding to Somair’s production to date”.

Orano, which has been operating in Niger for 50 years, is involved in several arbitration processes with the country.

Last month, it sued the Nigerien authorities after the disappearance of its director and the raiding of its local offices.

Niger’s decision to nationalise Somair comes amid a wave of mine nationalisations across West Africa, notably in Mali and Burkina Faso, both of which are governed by military governments.