Niger Signs Agreement to Relaunch Northern Uranium Project

Niger’s government has announced a new agreement with the Madaouela Mining Company, or MAMICO, to restart a uranium mining project in the northern part of the country.

The government said the agreement was signed on Wednesday. Details of the project’s legal status, implementation timetable and operating arrangements were not provided.

Agreement includes jobs and initial payment

According to Niger’s mining ministry, the arrangement includes an initial fee of $10 million, support to strengthen the mining administration, local development measures and the creation of around 1,000 jobs for young Nigeriens.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the ministry said the agreement provides “among other things” for the payment, administrative capacity-building, local development and employment opportunities.

The ministry did not specify the amount or form of the local development measures. The available information also does not explain when mining operations are expected to resume or provide further details about the project’s production plans.

Ownership of MAMICO

MAMICO is owned 60% by the Australian Atomic Eagle group and 40% by the Niger government, according to the reported details of the agreement.

The project comes as uranium mining has become a major point of tension between Niger’s leaders and France. Niger has been governed by military authorities since a coup in 2023, and the junta has promoted greater national control over the country’s mineral resources, including uranium.

Dispute involving Orano

Niger’s military authorities nationalised the local subsidiary of Orano, the French nuclear company. France holds 90% of Orano’s capital.

Orano has launched several legal proceedings against Niger and has accused the junta of confiscating its assets. The dispute forms part of Niger’s broader shift away from Paris and toward alternative allies such as Russia.

The government’s announcement did not provide further information on how the MAMICO project fits into the wider restructuring of Niger’s uranium sector. The reported agreement nevertheless signals an effort by the authorities to revive uranium development under a new ownership arrangement while linking the project to administrative support, local development and youth employment.