Russia has proposed building Niger’s first nuclear power plant, positioning itself as a partner in power generation, medical applications, and training local expertise. The plan, announced under a cooperation deal with State corporation Rosatom, comes after Niger cut ties with France and nationalised uranium assets long operated by French group Orano. If realised, it would mark the first nuclear power project in West Africa.
While the technical, financial, and security challenges are immense, Moscow’s overture taps into Nigeriens’ growing frustration with decades of being mere suppliers of raw uranium without access to advanced energy technology. France, despite relying on Nigerien uranium for its own energy sector, never offered Niamey nuclear know-how. Russia, by contrast, frames its involvement as a path towards peaceful atomic development and national industrialisation.
Beyond the rhetoric, Russia’s interest is also strategic. Securing access to Niger’s vast uranium reserves, including the Imouraren deposit, would strengthen Moscow’s position in global uranium markets and extend its geopolitical influence in the Sahel. Whether a nuclear plant in Niger materialises or not, Russia has already scored a symbolic victory—aligning itself with African sovereigntist sentiment and capitalising on resentment towards France’s colonial legacy.