The government of Niger announced the nationalization of one of the units of the French company of uranium Orano. The action involves its subsidiary Somaïr, center of a deadlock that has lasted since last year, when the business suspended its production in the mine. The announcement was made last week by the state television mentioning “irresponsible, illegal and unfair” behavior from the French enterprise. Orano is 90% detained by the French government and has operated mines in the African country from decades.
On the same occasion, the president of the country Abdourahamane Tiani announced a nationalization of the Nigerien Electricity Society (Niglec SA). Created as a Mixed Economy Corporation, Niglec is responsible for the production, transportation and distribution of electricity around the country. Its social capital, valued at more than US$ 134 million (76 thousand million CFA Franc), were detained in more than 99% by the State with the rest divided by various minority shareholders, among them the French Agency of Development.
Despite public prevalence, the company kept independent during many decades, with attempts of privatization that never got concrete.
According to analysts, beyond the numbers, the lack of proper energy provision itself motivated the action. Since many years ago, the population of the Sahel country has been confronted with recurrent energy cuts due to strong energetic dependence in relation to Nigeria.
The vulnerability was highlighted during the last two months when a damage in the Nigerian electricity grid left hundreds of thousands Nigerian houses in the dark, affecting schools, hospitals, stores and government offices.
In an interview to BdF, Mamane Sani Adamou from the Revolutionary Organization for New Democracy (Tarmouwa) analysed the government’s decision of nationalizing Nigelec and compared the measure with the recent acquisition of Somair, highlighting the differences and the motivations behind every action. Both decisions are seen by Adamou as important steps to guarantee the economic sovereignty of Niger.
The Revolutionary Organization for New Democracy is a political party founded in 1992, after the opening of the multiparty policy. The group is known for its active participation in the labor union struggle in the Sahel.
Check out the entire interview:
BdF: How do you see the process of nationalization of Nigelec?
Mamane Sani Adamou: The government thinks that, by assuming 100% of the company’s control, it’s going to change its direction, it’s going to change the way the enterprise is administered and, until 2030, they are going to get 60% of access to electricity, something that is still a considerable achievement. Therefore, the State wants to put an end to an injection that is not very satisfactory and wants to accelerate the access to electrification for the majority of nigerians.
What is the current situation of electricity in Niger and, above all, what is the level of dependence of Niger in relation to Nigeria? Niger continues to depend on the neighbour country for 70% of its electricity?
Well, there was a change. A lot of work has been done in Niamey, this is something that is reducing this percentage a little bit. That’s why I think we are even less dependent in Nigeria than in the past. Despite that, there continues to be [in Niger], electricity from Nigeria, which is something important here, not only for the city of Niamey, but for the rest of the country. Beyond the exception of Agadez, the rest of the country is provided by thermal energy produced by. All the rest is electrified in Nigeria, but there are more centers of production of electrification and solar energy begins to appear. That way, all of this together makes, only in the city of Niamey there is a little less dependence on energy from Nigeria, but, in general, we continue to depend on the country.
In 2024, Niger removed the operational control of the French company Orano about its three main mines in the country: Somaïr, Cominak e Imouraren — the latest has one of the biggest uranium reserves in the world. How do you see the nationalization of Nigelec compared to the nationalization of Somaïr? Can we say that these are similar measures towards energetic sovereignty?
Well, they are not very similar measures. We can say they are similar in a way that they seek for an ending of a crisis, but both situations are different. Somaïr was the first company to begin uranium extraction in Niger, in 1971, and it’s detained in 63% of French shareholders. Since the state coup of July 26th, there has been a deadlock with France, which made Niger stop all exportations of uranium. That way, the French retaliation was, at first, to discontinue mining exploration in Cominak, not putting to work the megaproject of Imouraren – which was object of a contract with France – and, after practically making impossible for this central to work, because France brought back all of its people back.
Niger finally decided to acquire all the actions of Somaïr to put an end to this uranium crisis, because France had caused much damage to the company trying to sell it and avoiding Niger to administrate as it should. This is what is being discussed. It’s not exactly the same thing, because we had before 33%, 34% of participation, and now we are going to have everything. That way, Somaïr is going to be exclusively part of Niger, and the country will be benefited with all the value chain of the uranium exploration.
Do you believe that, in the near or far future, it is going to be possible for Niger to start selling electricity, as Nigeria does nowadays?
We are trying to resume this plan that is for Niger to associate the exploration of fossil resources with a better usage of solar energy, which means that the percentage of solar energy in the country’s energy mix is going to improve significantly. At the same time, Niger is going to combine the usage of various sources, which is going to allow sufficient electricity production for exportation. For now, we haven’t reached it yet. We need to put everything in order.
Adamou, there’s a very strong idea of Nkrumah, pan-african leader of Gana, who said you can’t build pan-africanism without electricity. How do you see this idea of Kwame Nkrumah nowadays, in this moment we are living?
Without energy control, it’s impossible to accomplish anything. Before anything else, industrialization is at stake. Many companies are reluctant to install themselves here because the energy cost is very high. This way, dominating electrification means dominating the source of industrialization, allowing a transformation in agricultural products and, therefore, launching the basis of an independent development. That way, Nkrumah is completely right. Energy is vital in that domain. We need to control, make it accessible for our citizens and, above all, guarantee that the factors are able to transform our products locally. Instead of continuing the logic of international division of work, which confines us to the position of raw material exporter and consumer of processed products. This puts an end to this dependency.
