US Returns to Niger with $414 Million Uranium Investment

The United States just greenlit up to $414 million in funding for the Dasa uranium project in Niger—basically, it’s opening the door to doing big business with the country again. The money, approved by the US International Development Finance Corporation, goes straight to Canadian mining company Global Atomic, which is building out what some are calling the richest uranium deposit in all of Africa.

This Dasa mine sits about 105 kilometers south of Arlit. Over its 23-year lifespan, it’s set to turn out more than 68 million pounds of uranium oxide. Niger’s government owns a 20% slice of the project, while Global Atomic controls the other 80%. The company’s already locked in deals to ship almost nine million pounds of uranium in the mine’s first seven years, most of it heading right to US nuclear power plants.

This comes just two years after a military coup in Niger led the country to kick out US troops in 2023. Since then, Niger’s cozied up with Russia and gotten into some heated back-and-forth with France, especially over uranium, where French state company Orano has been a big player. This new investment shows the US is serious about locking down supplies of critical minerals and sidestepping competitors.

There are still plenty of challenges. Niger’s been rocked by political chaos and mutinies, and Global Atomic is even scouting new export routes through Algeria, since the usual ones aren’t so safe anymore. Even with all that, the funding signals a breakthrough—Washington's getting its foot back in the door, both diplomatically and commercially, in Niger’s resource sector.

The stakes just got higher this year, too, after the US officially added uranium to its critical minerals list in 2025. That move’s put even more focus on Niger’s uranium reserves. For Niger, it’s about attracting foreign money while keeping control of key resources. For the US, it’s a clear shift: returning to Niger, this time with business deals, not boots on the ground.