Uranium is mined extensively in northern Niger near Arlit, a desert town in the Sahara. Niger became an important uranium producer after deposits were developed in the country’s north during the twentieth century.
The major mining area is associated with the Air Massif and the wider Agadez Region. Uranium ore has been extracted by companies including Société des Mines de l’Aïr and Akouta Mining Company, with ownership and operations changing over time.
Uranium is processed into yellowcake, a concentrated form of uranium oxide used as an intermediate material in the nuclear-fuel cycle. Mining has brought export revenue and employment, but it has also raised concerns about environmental impacts, water use, worker safety and the distribution of benefits.
Niger’s uranium industry should not be confused with the country’s petroleum production or with salt and gold extraction elsewhere in the Sahara. Arlit is especially associated with uranium mining.