Niger’s uranium breakthrough: Dasa becomes the new backbone as SOMAÏR collapses
Niger’s uranium industry has reached a decisive turning point. A $414 million American investment in the Dasa project stands in stark contrast to the dramatic collapse of production at SOMAÏR (Société des mines de l’Aïr), the historic mine long operated by the French group Orano. This moment marks a major shift in the geopolitical and mining landscape unfolding in Niamey, underscoring a breakthrough for American interests as the old French-led model crumbles.
The paralysis of SOMAÏR and the rupture with France
SOMAÏR has suffered a massive production deficit, with output plummeting by more than 80% compared to its nominal capacity. The cause: blocked export routes, closed borders with Benin, and the impossibility of transporting uranium concentrate (yellowcake) to the port of Cotonou. This logistical and financial asphyxiation forced Orano to suspend operations, and eventually the Nigerien transitional government revoked the permits and took control of the site. For Niamey, SOMAÏR embodied the old neocolonial model that had to be abandoned, even at the cost of an almost total halt in production at this historic mine.
Dasa takes over: American pragmatism seizes the moment
While SOMAÏR’s uranium remains stranded or underexploited, the Dasa project, led by the Canadian company Global Atomic, is emerging as Niger’s new mining backbone. This shift represents a decisive breakthrough for the country’s uranium sector.
- Replacing lost volumes: The Dasa deposit boasts some of the highest uranium grades in the world, poised to largely offset SOMAÏR’s extraction losses for the international market.
- Washington’s pragmatism: The injection of $414 million by the U.S. DFC demonstrates that where French players like Orano are paralyzed or sidelined by political disputes with the junta, the United States secures its future supplies by working through financial structures and North American companies seen as more neutral by Nigerien authorities.
Reconfiguring mining sovereignty
This parallel reveals that General Tiani’s regime finds itself trapped by its all-military approach, forced to turn to European and American investments that were once criticized when he first took power. The momentum has clearly shifted, with Dasa now at the center of Niger’s uranium future.
