Former African Union Ambassador Arikana Chihombori-Quao discusses Niger’s move to nationalize its uranium resources. “They went from realising about $1 Billion dollars in uranium resources to over $300 billion a year! And this is only ONE mineral, now imagine the country taking inventory of ALL their minerals and benefiting from their natural resources like the rest of the countries in the Western world,” she argues.
In 2010, Niger exported uranium worth €3.5 billion to France but received only €459 million—earning as little as €0.80/kg while global prices hovered around €200/kg.
In December 2024, Niger assumed operational control of French company Orano’s subsidiary SOMAÏR and revoked mining permits for other projects, including the Imouraren site, one of the world’s largest uranium deposits.
This seismic shift is part of a broader wave sweeping across West Africa. From Burkina Faso to Niger and Mali, governments are reclaiming control over their resources—dismantling decades of neocolonial influence and economic exploitation by France and other European powers.
🎥: Al Jazeera English: The Bottom Line
