Niger moves to take full control of uranium industry
Niger is moving to take greater control of its uranium industry, as the military-led government continues its push to assert state ownership over the country’s strategic mineral resources.
The latest step came on August 21, when Niger’s Council of Ministers approved a mining permit for Teloua Safeguarding Uranium Mining Company (TSUMCO) to continue uranium operations in the Arlit area. The company was created to replace SOMAÏR, which was nationalised by the government in June 2025.
SOMAÏR had been operated by French nuclear company Orano, which held a 63.4% stake, while Niger’s state-owned mining company SOPAMIN held 36.6%. Niger’s authorities had taken operational control of the company in December 2024 before moving to nationalise it the following year.
The move is part of a broader resource-nationalism policy by Niger’s military government, which says greater state control over mining is necessary to ensure that the country’s natural wealth benefits its population and supports national development.
Niger has also moved against other foreign-controlled uranium assets. In May 2026, authorities revoked a long-standing concession at the Arlit uranium deposit, further reducing the role of French interests in the sector.
However, the transition has created a major dispute with Orano. The French company has challenged Niger’s actions through international arbitration. In September 2025, an ICSID tribunal ordered Niger not to sell or transfer uranium produced by SOMAÏR that was at the centre of the dispute.
The government has nevertheless sought to place the nationalised uranium on the international market, while Niger continues to face questions over production, financing and the logistics required to export the material.
The latest developments therefore mark more than a change in ownership. They represent Niger’s broader attempt to reshape who controls and benefits from one of its most important natural resources, while its dispute with Orano continues.
