Who Benefits from Niger’s Uranium?
By Ibrahima Aidara
In Niger, almost 90 percent of the population lacks access to electricity. This in a country that is the fourth largest producer of uranium—enough to power one in every three light bulbs in France.
Why? Enormous corporate tax breaks.
At the end of this month the French government, their state-owned nuclear group Areva, and the Nigerien government will sign a new mining contract to define Areva’s operating conditions for the decade to come. If that deal remains as unfair as the current one, millions of dollars will still be kept from one of the poorest countries in the world.
The Open Society Initiative for West Africa, along with our Nigerien partner ROTAB, Publish What You Pay, and Oxfam France, are joining forces to help ensure that Niger gets a fair deal in this upcoming negotiation. Areva must respect the requests of the Niger government and pay higher taxes, which are crucial for the country’s development.
We have less than two weeks to stand with the people of Niger before the new contract is signed.
You can help. Sign our petition, and then share it on Twitter using the hashtag #fairAREVAdeal. Over 14,000 people have joined the call.
Thank you for your support.
Ibrahima Aidara is the Economic Governance Program manager at the Open Society Initiative for West Africa.
