PRETORIA, February 16. /TASS/. Niger’s government is in talks with companies from a number of countries, including Russia, regarding the sale of uranium mined in the African nation, Mining Minister Ousmane Abarchi said.
"We are talking with the Russians. We are talking to the Chinese. We are talking to the Americans," he was quoted as saying by the Financial Times. Abarchi added that Niger had the right to sell its uranium to whomever it wished, but intended to work only with responsible parties.
The newspaper noted that Niger’s search for a potential purchaser is complicated by a lawsuit filed by the French state nuclear energy group Orano, which insists on its ownership rights to the uranium produced. According to independent estimates, about 2,000 tons of uranium concentrate extracted by Somair – a joint venture between Orano and Niger’s state-owned company Sopamin – are currently located in the country. Orano says the entire batch was unlawfully seized from it.
The authorities that came to power in the summer of 2023 following a coup declared a sweeping revision of the system under which foreign companies extract raw materials in Niger as a priority sector. In June 2025, the government announced the nationalization of Somair, accusing Orano of disproportionate distribution of profits from Nigerien uranium production.
Orano has filed a claim with the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), challenging the government’s decision to seize all uranium currently in the country. ICSID ordered that the mined uranium must not be sold or transferred to third parties without Orano’s consent. The French group threatened further legal action if the confiscated uranium were put up for sale.
Last week, Niger’s president Abdourahamane Tchiani said the authorities were ready to transfer to Orano the share of uranium belonging to it under the joint venture. According to him, this amounts to 63.4% of the 156,231 tons of uranium concentrate produced in Niger before Somair’s nationalization.
Niger’s uranium
According to the World Nuclear Association, Niger accounted for about 4% of global uranium output in 2022. France received supplies from Niger covering 15% of its uranium needs for nuclear reactors, which generate 65% of the country’s electricity. As of mid-2023, Niger ranked seventh globally in uranium production.
Orano is the world’s third-largest uranium producer, controlling up to 12% of the global primary uranium mining market. The company had been mining in Niger since 1971.