By: Business insider Africa

Niger's military government has announced it will begin selling uranium from the nationalized Somaïr mine directly on the international market. This decision marks a historic break from decades of French control over the country’s uranium industry, which was dominated by the state-owned company Orano.

The junta, led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, framed the move as an assertion of national sovereignty and a right to diversify its buyers, signaling a sharp political realignment away from Western partners towards nations like Russia and Iran. The decision comes despite a recent ruling by the World Bank's arbitration court, which ordered Niger to halt all sales from the Somaïr mine following a complaint by Orano.

This shift aligns with a broader trend of resource nationalism across West Africa, where post-coup governments in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea are also seeking greater state control over their mineral exports. Niger aims to capture more revenue from its strategic resource, especially as global uranium prices rise. While the long-term economic impact is unclear, the political statement of reclaiming control over a vital national asset is definitive.