At the 81st United Nations General Assembly, Niger’s military-appointed Prime Minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, delivered yet another familiar performance. Speaking before a gallery of international envoys, the junta’s representative repeated the CNSP’s stock phrases: “reclaiming national resources,” “economic independence,” and “breaking with neocolonialism.”
Once the cameras stopped rolling, however, the hard numbers caught up with the generals in Niamey. Under General Abdourahamane Tiani and his government, Niger’s economic crown jewels have slid into chaotic management. Behind the patriotic veneer, the industrial record of SOMAÏR and SONIDEP reveals a financial disaster that is already costing the Nigerien people dearly.
The SOMAÏR collapse: from “recovery” to uranium’s cardiac arrest
For decades, uranium from Arlit fueled a narrative of grievance. By taking operational control of the Société des Mines de l’Aïr (SOMAÏR) and sidelining its long-standing French partner Orano, Tiani and his circle promised a financial windfall for the country.
The result on the ground has been catastrophic: uranium production has plummeted by roughly 80% since the new authorities took over.
- Broken supply chains: The inability to deliver essential chemical reagents (such as sulfuric acid) and logistical blockages at the borders have paralyzed the Arlit site.
- Commercial bottleneck: Lacking solid distribution networks and reliable export certificates, tons of uranium concentrate (yellowcake) sit unsold on site.
- Immediate social impact: Local subcontractors go unpaid, jobs evaporate, and the tax revenues expected to fund hospitals and schools have turned into a mirage.
Changing the flag on a factory gate does not make its machines run. In mining engineering, amateur slogans are no substitute for technical expertise and disciplined management.
SONIDEP and the mystery of the 25 billion FCFA black hole
If uranium management amounts to a shipwreck, the oil file borders on a state scandal. The Société Nigérienne des Produits Pétroliers (SONIDEP), thrust by the CNSP into the heart of the crude marketing strategy—notably via the new giant pipeline to Benin’s coast—was supposed to be the financial engine of this new era.
Yet according to internal balance sheets and progress reports, SONIDEP is showing an abysmal loss estimated at over 25 billion CFA francs.
That figure alone illustrates the failure of the military management model: on one side, SOMAÏR sees its production collapse by nearly 80%, destroying the added value of the uranium sector; on the other, SONIDEP, meant to harvest the fruits of national oil, accumulates a record deficit of 25 billion CFA francs instead of filling state coffers. Together, these two public flagships symbolize a veritable system of resource evaporation under the cover of illusory nationalism.
How does a national company holding a monopoly on oil distribution, in a country supposed to become a major oil exporter, manage to accumulate such a financial chasm? The absence of certified accounting statements and the oil ministry’s radio silence fuel every suspicion: mismanagement, dubious negotiated contracts, improvised intermediaries, and overbilling.
Sovereignty cannot be a shield for incompetence
Faced with this industrial rout, the Tiani-Zeine tandem’s reflex is well rehearsed: systematically blaming ECOWAS, international sanctions, the “invisible hand of imperialism,” or previous regimes’ management.
At some point, the leaders led by Abdourahamane Tiani must answer to their population:
- Where are the audit reports promised with great fanfare after the July 2023 coup?
- How are Niger’s oil and uranium sales contracts actually negotiated?
- What exactly are the rare revenues collected by the Treasury used for if major state companies are going bankrupt?
True sovereignty of a people is measured by concrete actions and results: public companies that create value, salaries paid on time, investment in basic services, and full transparency on public finances.
By using the patriotic argument to mask the failures of SOMAÏR and SONIDEP, the CNSP distorts the very meaning of the word sovereignty. The Nigerien people cannot eat UN speeches: they need an economy that works.
