US approves $414M uranium investment in Niger, two years after troops left

Investment could mark a turning point in US-Niger and US-Canada relations.

The US government's $414m high-grade uranium financing deal could give the US access to Niger's critical mineral supplies [File: Joe Penney/Reuters]

The United States government has signed off on as much as $414m in financing for a uranium project in Niger, according to the project’s developer, two years after Washington agreed to withdraw troops from the African country.

The US Development Finance Corp approved the debt facility for Canadian miner Global Atomic’s Dasa project, which the company describes as the highest-grade uranium deposit in Africa, according to a company statement on Wednesday.

list 1 of 3 France denies Niger’s accusation it orchestrated failed military mutiny

list 2 of 3 Niger military government reshuffles army command weeks after deadly mutiny

list 3 of 3 Niger mutiny puts Russia’s expanding role in the Sahel to the test

The investment could bolster US access to a strategic uranium supply at a time when Niger, the world’s seventh-largest uranium producer, is locked in a dispute with French state-backed miner Orano, which long dominated the country’s uranium sector.

Sources briefed on the effort said US Ambassador Kathleen FitzGibbon had urged Washington to rebuild ties with Niger and back the project after the Trump administration took office with a renewed emphasis on deal-making in Africa.

In 2024, the United States agreed to withdraw about 1,000 troops after the military government, which took control of Niger in a coup in 2023, deemed their presence “illegal” and turned to Russia for security support. French soldiers were also ordered to leave in 2023.

The project was seen as an opportunity to secure access to a strategic energy resource that might otherwise fall into the orbit of rival powers, the sources said.

One source familiar with discussions involving Global Atomic and the Development Finance Corp said a breakthrough came this summer when chief executive Stephen Roman travelled to Washington to resolve remaining issues holding up approval.

The project could also provide a rare bright spot in US-Canada relations, which have come under strain amid a trade war between the neighbours.

Niger’s government did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

An armoured military vehicle stationed on the street following an attack on the airport and the presidency in Niamey, Niger in August 2026 [File: Reuters]

The project faces significant security and political risks.

Last month, a group of soldiers launched attacks on a key military airbase, the presidential palace and other sensitive sites in the capital, Niamey, in an attempted mutiny, authorities said.

Niger later accused France of orchestrating the offensive, which it denied.

Global Atomic has been exploring alternative routes to export uranium from the landlocked country due to the security risks, a source briefed on discussions said.

One idea has been to invest in a route north through Algeria and across the Sahara Desert.

Algeria sent aircraft to Niger last month to help the government respond to the attempted coup, indicating strengthening ties between the neighbouring countries.

Uranium was added to the US critical minerals list last year, prompting renewed interest in Niger’s reserves.

投资可能成为美尼关系和美加关系的一个转折点。

美国政府价值 4.14 亿美元的高品位铀矿融资协议可能使美国获得尼日尔的关键矿产资源。[图片：Joe Penney/路透社]

据该项目开发商称，美国政府已批准向尼日尔的一个铀矿项目提供高达 4.14 亿美元的融资，而就在两年前，华盛顿方面同意从这个非洲国家撤军。

据该公司周三发布的一份声明称，美国发展金融公司已批准加拿大矿业公司 Global Atomic 的 Dasa 项目债务融资，该公司称该项目是非洲品位最高的铀矿床。

列表 1/3：法国否认尼日尔关于其策划未遂军事叛乱的指控

尼日尔军政府在致命兵变数周后重组军队指挥部（共3条，此为第2条）

尼日尔兵变考验俄罗斯在萨赫勒地区日益扩大的影响力（共3条，此为第3条）

这项投资可能会增强美国获得战略性铀供应的渠道。目前，世界第七大铀生产国尼日尔正与法国国有矿业公司奥拉诺陷入争端，奥拉诺长期以来一直主导着该国的铀矿行业。

知情人士透露，美国驻尼日尔大使凯瑟琳·菲茨吉本敦促华盛顿重建与尼日尔的关系，并在特朗普政府上任后，重新重视在非洲达成交易，支持该项目。

2024年，美国同意撤出约1000名驻尼日尔士兵。此前，在2023年通过政变控制尼日尔的军政府认为美军的存在“非法”，并转而寻求俄罗斯的安全支持。法国士兵也于2023年被命令撤离。

消息人士称，该项目被视为获取战略能源资源的机会，否则该资源可能会落入竞争对手的掌控之中。

一位熟悉 Global Atomic 和 Development Finance Corp 之间讨论的消息人士称，今年夏天，首席执行官 Stephen Roman 前往华盛顿解决阻碍审批的剩余问题，取得了突破性进展。

该项目也可能为美加关系带来一丝难得的亮点，两国关系因贸易战而变得紧张。

尼日尔政府没有回应路透社的置评请求。

2026年8月，尼日尔首都尼亚美机场和总统府遭到袭击后，一辆装甲军车停在街上。[图片：路透社]

该项目面临重大的安全和政治风险。

当局称，上个月，一群士兵袭击了首都尼亚美的一个重要军事空军基地、总统府和其他敏感地点，企图发动兵变。

尼日尔后来指责法国策划了这次进攻，法国否认了这一指控。

一位了解相关讨论的消息人士称，由于安全风险，Global Atomic一直在探索从这个内陆国家出口铀的替代途径。

其中一个想法是投资修建一条向北穿过阿尔及利亚和撒哈拉沙漠的路线。

上个月，阿尔及利亚向尼日尔派遣飞机，帮助该国政府应对未遂政变，这表明两国关系正在加强。

去年，铀被列入美国重点矿产清单，这重新激发了人们对尼日尔铀储量的兴趣。