The United States has approved as much as $414 million in financing for a uranium project in Niger, according to Canadian mining company Global Atomic, the project’s developer. The debt facility was approved by the US Development Finance Corp for the Dasa project, which Global Atomic describes as Africa’s highest-grade uranium deposit.
The decision could strengthen US access to uranium from Niger, which the source identifies as the world’s seventh-largest uranium producer. It also offers a potential boost to economic ties between Washington and Ottawa, as Global Atomic is Canadian and relations between the two countries have been strained by a trade dispute.
The financing follows a major deterioration in US-Niger security relations. In 2024, Washington agreed to withdraw about 1,000 troops after Niger’s military government, which seized power in a 2023 coup, declared the US presence “illegal”. Russia subsequently became a security partner, while French forces were also ordered to leave Niger in 2023.
People briefed on the effort said US Ambassador Kathleen FitzGibbon encouraged Washington to rebuild relations with Niger and support the project after the Trump administration took office with a renewed focus on commercial agreements in Africa. One source said a breakthrough came during a visit to Washington by Global Atomic chief executive Stephen Roman, who sought to resolve outstanding issues delaying approval.
The project nevertheless faces serious security and political challenges. According to the source, soldiers recently attacked a military airbase, the presidential palace and other sensitive sites in the capital, Niamey, in an attempted mutiny. Niger accused France of organising the offensive, a claim France denied. Niger’s government did not respond to a request for comment.
Because Niger is landlocked and security conditions are uncertain, Global Atomic has examined alternative export routes for the uranium. One proposal involves developing a route north through Algeria and across the Sahara Desert. Algeria recently sent aircraft to Niger after the attempted coup, while uranium’s addition to the US critical minerals list last year has increased attention on Niger’s reserves.