The Nigerien Council of Ministers has terminated the uranium mining concession held by French firm Orano Mining, replacing it with a state-owned enterprise to oversee national uranium extraction. The government continues to demand outstanding royalties from Orano, which has filed multiple lawsuits to block uranium exports from Niger.

During its latest session chaired by President Abdourahamane Tiani, the Nigerien Council of Ministers approved a decree establishing TSUMCO SA—Teloua Safeguarding Uranium Mining Company—a new national entity designed to take over operations from the nationalized SOMAIR mining company. This move effectively ends Orano’s 75-year concession for the Arlit uranium deposit, originally granted in 1978. Authorities explained that Teloua, named after an underground aquifer in the Arlit mining region, serves as a tribute to the local environment, particularly the COMINAK mine operated by Orano/Areva from 1978 to 2021. The government highlighted dramatic environmental impacts on Saharan soil, water resources, and ecosystems around mining sites, framing the name as both a memorial and a commitment to holding past operators accountable for ecological damage.

legal standoff with Orano intensifies

Under Niger’s mining laws, Orano is now required to pay an annual surface royalty of 25 million CFA francs per km² for unexploited areas of the Arlit concession—a rule enforced through an August 2024 ordinance. Niamey alleges that Orano’s failure to comply with this obligation led to a formal notice in September 2025, which, after no resolution, provided legal grounds for annulling the contract. Authorities further claim that Orano remains liable for unmet tax and environmental responsibilities under previous agreements.

Since SOMAIR’s nationalization in June 2025, the French company has pursued several legal challenges against the Nigerien state, actions described by Mines Minister Ousmane Abarchi as judicial harassment aimed at obstructing uranium exports. With this latest decision, tensions between Niamey and Orano are set to escalate, compounding broader strains in Niger-France relations over security, economic, and strategic differences.