Russia is stepping up efforts to undermine France’s long-standing dominance in Niger’s uranium sector by proposing the construction of a nuclear power plant in the West African nation.
Although Niger possesses some of the world’s richest uranium deposits, the country has endured persistent electricity shortages while exporting the mineral to France for refining over several decades.
Now, as the military government in Niamey distances itself from Paris, Moscow is moving to fill the vacuum.
The Kremlin has already signed civil nuclear cooperation agreements with Mali and Burkina Faso, reflecting its broader ambition to expand energy partnerships across the Sahel.
Last month, Russia and Niger signed a deal on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, under which Rosatom will assist with developing nuclear infrastructure, including power plants, research reactors, and fuel supply systems.
Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev stated via his ministry’s Telegram channel, “During today’s meeting, an important memorandum of cooperation in the field of peaceful atom was signed. Our task is not just to participate in the extraction of uranium, we must create an entire system for the development of a peaceful atom in Niger.”
By tying its offer directly to Niger’s electricity deficit, Moscow is positioning itself as both a development partner and a strategic alternative to France, intensifying the global contest for Africa’s resources.
The shift aligns with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, who are pushing forward with nationalisation policies aimed at breaking away from France and Western influence.
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Niger, which produces around 4 percent of the world’s uranium, has enforced a nationalisation clause to assert state ownership and tighter control over its natural resources.
The military leadership has begun revising contracts with French nuclear giant Orano (formerly Areva), which had long enjoyed privileged access to Nigerien uranium.
Orano, majority owner of joint venture SOMAIR, has already warned that the company is close to bankruptcy following a year of export restrictions imposed under Niger’s new policy framework.
This has cleared the path for cooperation with Russia, extending discussions beyond raw ore extraction to nuclear power generation, medical applications, and training of local specialists under Rosatom.
The principle underpinning Niger’s new approach is that strategic resources such as uranium, gold, and oil must directly serve the country’s population instead of being siphoned off by foreign multinationals.
Paul Melly, a consultant at Chatham House and BBC analyst, argues that Niger’s break with France is not just diplomatic but represents the collapse of a decades-old imbalance.
He notes that the uranium trade with Orano kept French reactors running while leaving Niger without the ability to exploit its reserves for its own power generation.
The country has relied on coal-fired plants and electricity imports from Nigeria, but even those lifelines have faltered.
Earlier this year, Nigeria slashed electricity exports to Niger by 42 percent, cutting supply from 80 megawatts to 46MW and triggering a severe power crisis that reduced Niger’s electricity output by 30 to 50 percent.
Against this backdrop, Niger’s military rulers are embracing Moscow’s proposal, which promises not only uranium mining but also the construction of a nuclear power plant.
Whether the plan materializes remains uncertain, but symbolically, it marks a dramatic shift: Russia offering the nuclear expertise that France withheld, and Niger seeking to redefine itself from a mere exporter of raw uranium to a producer of atomic energy for domestic use.
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Image credit: Cedi Rates
