In northern Niger, French multinational Orano (formerly Areva) shut down its first uranium mine in 2021 after nearly 50 years of operation. The closure left Akokan and Arlit—towns built entirely around mining—struggling. Two years later, former miners remain unemployed, families feel abandoned, and millions of tons of radioactive waste lie exposed.
Discovered in the late 1960s by France, uranium deposits transformed the Sahara region, drawing tens of thousands of Nigeriens seeking work and giving rise to mining towns. Orano promised to retrain 1,400 workers and manage toxic waste, but little has been done. Akokan is now in decline, and Arlit’s 140,000 residents fear the same fate once the remaining mine is exhausted.
As Europe revives nuclear power to face energy shortages, Niger’s communities are left with unemployment, health risks, and a toxic legacy.
