Rosatom has signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with Niger, signalling completion of broader co-operation with the three governments of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) – Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. The agreement with Niger envisages assistance in construction of NPPs, research reactors, and fuel supplies. This follows similar agreements signed in June with Mali and Burkina Faso. The growing nuclear partnership is seen as a significant move by the AES toward energy sovereignty.
“An important memorandum of cooperation in the field of peaceful nuclear energy has been signed,” Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilyov stated, according to the official Telegram channel of Niger’s Energy Ministry. “Our task is not just to participate in the extraction of uranium, we must create an entire system for the development of a peaceful atom in Niger.” He added that the memorandum outlines collaboration on multiple fronts, including “the construction of nuclear power plants, nuclear medicine, and joint training of specialists in this field”. Tsivilyov and Nigerien Energy Minister Ousmane Abarchi witnessed the signing of the agreement.
During his visit to Niger, Tsivilyov met with Niger President Abdourahmane Tchiani, and also held talks with Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine and Minister of Mining Ousmane Abarchi. The Russian delegation included representatives of business circles and official departments of the Russian Federation. A key topic of the negotiations was the establishment of a Russian-Nigerian intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation.
The parties also discussed interaction in the economic sphere, the implementation of joint projects in the fields of energy, transport, infrastructure, agriculture and mining. Niger invited Rosatom to jointly develop mining projects. Niger is closely monitoring the development of low- and medium-power nuclear reactors, said Abarchi. He noted that Niger is the world’s seventh largest uranium producer, with significant uranium reserves, especially in the northern regions, where total reserves exceed 5,000 tU.
