A familiar refrain at the UN, a harsher reality at home
At the 81st United Nations General Assembly, Niger’s military-appointed Prime Minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, once again delivered his signature sovereignist performance. Before an audience of international envoys, the junta’s frontman repeated the usual slogans of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP): “reclaiming national resources,” “economic independence,” and “breaking with neocolonialism.”
But once the cameras are off and the lofty rhetoric is shelved, the numbers paint a starkly different picture for the generals in power in Niamey. Under General Abdourahamane Tiani and his government, Niger’s economic crown jewels are sinking into chaotic management. Behind the patriotic veneer, the industrial record of SOMAÏR and SONIDEP reveals a financial fiasco that is already costing the Nigerien people dearly.
The SOMAÏR collapse: from promised recovery to uranium’s cardiac arrest
For decades, uranium from Arlit fueled a narrative of resentment. By taking operational control of the Société des Mines de l’Aïr (SOMAÏR) and sidelining long-time French partner Orano, Tiani and his circle promised a financial windfall for the country.
The on-the-ground result is 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 borders have paralyzed the Arlit site.
- Commercial bottleneck: Lacking solid distribution networks and reliable export certificates, tons of uranium concentrate (yellowcake) remain stockpiled on site, unsellable.
- Immediate social impact: Local subcontractors are no longer paid, jobs are evaporating, and expected tax revenues to fund hospitals or 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 competence and rigorous management.
SONIDEP and the mystery of a 25 billion FCFA black hole
If uranium management is a shipwreck, the oil dossier borders on a state scandal. The Société Nigérienne des Produits Pétroliers (SONIDEP), elevated by the CNSP to 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 shows a staggering loss estimated at over 25 billion CFA francs.
This figure alone illustrates the failure of the military management model: on one hand, SOMAÏR sees its production collapse by nearly 80%, destroying the added value of the uranium sector; on the other, SONIDEP, meant to reap the fruits of national oil, accumulates a record deficit of 25 billion FCFA instead of filling state coffers. Together, these two public flagship companies symbolize a veritable system of resource evaporation under the guise of illusory nationalism.
How can a national company holding a monopoly on black gold distribution, in a country meant to become a major oil exporter, achieve the feat of accumulating such a financial chasm? The absence of certified accounting statements and the oil ministry’s radio silence fuel all suspicions: mismanagement, dubious negotiated contracts, improvised intermediaries, and overbilling.
Sovereignty cannot be a screen for incompetence
Faced with this industrial rout, the Tiani-Zeine tandem’s reflex is well-oiled: systematically blame ECOWAS, international sanctions, the “invisible hand of imperialism,” or previous regimes.
At some point, the leaders led by Abdourahamane Tiani must answer to their people:
- Where are the audit reports promised with great fanfare after the July 2023 coup?
- How are the sale contracts for Nigerien oil and uranium actually negotiated?
- What exactly are the rare revenues collected by the public treasury used for if major national companies are going bankrupt?
True sovereignty of a people is measured by concrete actions and results: public enterprises that create value, salaries paid on time, investments 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 do not feed on speeches at the UN: they need an economy that works.
