Niger takes full control of uranium sector with new state-owned company

In a decisive move announced during a cabinet meeting on May 18, 2026, the Niger government formalized the establishment of a national uranium mining company and revoked the mining concession previously held by French conglomerate Orano at the Arlit site. The decision, ratified under the leadership of General Abdourahamane Tiani, President of the Republic, officially ends over five decades of French dominance in Niger’s uranium industry.

By Agnès Mvogo — Territorial Security and State Policy Analyst