Niger’s military-led government has revoked the gold mining licences of three companies and rejected a request from a British oil firm to extend its exploration permit, marking another step in the country’s push to tighten control over its natural resources.
Authorities announced that concessions previously granted to mining companies Comini, Afrior and Ecomine have been cancelled after the firms allegedly failed to meet key contractual obligations. The licences were originally issued between 2017 and 2020. According to the government, the companies did not comply with requirements that included paying taxes, submitting annual technical and financial reports and adhering to environmental regulations.
Officials said the decision was taken after repeated concerns about the companies’ failure to honour the terms of their agreements with the state. The cancellations affect gold mining and processing operations linked to the firms.
Niger, a West African nation rich in uranium, gold and oil, currently operates only one industrial-scale gold mine, the Samira mine, which the military government nationalised in 2025 as part of broader efforts to increase state participation in the extractive sector.
Authorities announced that concessions previously granted to mining companies Comini, Afrior and Ecomine have been cancelled after the firms allegedly failed to meet key contractual obligations. The licences were originally issued between 2017 and 2020. According to the government, the companies did not comply with requirements that included paying taxes, submitting annual technical and financial reports and adhering to environmental regulations.
Officials said the decision was taken after repeated concerns about the companies’ failure to honour the terms of their agreements with the state. The cancellations affect gold mining and processing operations linked to the firms.
Niger, a West African nation rich in uranium, gold and oil, currently operates only one industrial-scale gold mine, the Samira mine, which the military government nationalised in 2025 as part of broader efforts to increase state participation in the extractive sector.
Alongside the mining decision, the government also refused to extend an exploration and drilling licence requested by British energy company Savannah Energy. The company had sought to continue oil exploration activities in southeastern Niger, but authorities said it had failed to comply with the terms of an output-sharing contract covering four oil blocks.
Savannah Energy has previously stated that the blocks cover roughly half of the Agadem Rift Basin, Niger’s main oil-producing region, where the company says it recently discovered significant oil reserves.
The latest decisions reflect a broader policy shift since Niger’s military leadership took power following a coup in 2023. Since then, the government has reviewed several agreements with foreign operators as part of a strategy aimed at strengthening national control over key natural resources and ensuring that mining and energy revenues deliver greater benefits to the country’s economy.
Analysts say the move signals a tougher regulatory stance toward foreign companies operating in the extractive sector and could reshape future investment in Niger’s mining and oil industries.
Savannah Energy has previously stated that the blocks cover roughly half of the Agadem Rift Basin, Niger’s main oil-producing region, where the company says it recently discovered significant oil reserves.
The latest decisions reflect a broader policy shift since Niger’s military leadership took power following a coup in 2023. Since then, the government has reviewed several agreements with foreign operators as part of a strategy aimed at strengthening national control over key natural resources and ensuring that mining and energy revenues deliver greater benefits to the country’s economy.
Analysts say the move signals a tougher regulatory stance toward foreign companies operating in the extractive sector and could reshape future investment in Niger’s mining and oil industries.