Niamey — Niger has increased its stake in the Madaouela uranium project to 40% from 20%, bringing an end to a long-running dispute with Australian explorer Atomic Eagle, the country’s mining ministry said.
Under the new agreement signed with the mines ministry, Atomic Eagle will retain 60% ownership, down from 80%, and remain responsible for the project’s operational oversight.
The Madaouela project, located in Niger’s Agadez region, has been at the centre of a dispute between the government and the mining company. Niger awarded a permit to develop the uranium project in 2016, when Atomic Eagle was known as GoviEx.
In 2024, Niger revoked the company’s permit and returned the asset to the state. The decision prompted Atomic Eagle to launch international arbitration proceedings.
The two sides agreed in February 2025 to suspend the proceedings while negotiating a settlement. The suspension was extended by another six months in September 2025 as discussions continued.
“Niger has prioritized dialogue and negotiation to usher in a new phase based on partnership and development,” the mining ministry said, without providing details of the financial terms of the agreement.
Atomic Eagle did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The agreement comes as military-led governments across the Sahel seek greater control over natural resources and a larger share of revenues generated from mining.
Source: Reuters
Reporting: Niger Newsroom
Writing: Anait Miridzhanian
Editing: Maxwell Adombila and Thomas Derpinghaus
