Concern ova Niger uranium dey grow afta coup

Di recent coup for Niger don create fear ontop wetin go be di future of di kontri rich supply of uranium, di radioactive metal wey be di fuel for di nuclear industry.

Niger na di latest kontri for di African Sahel region wey military regime don take ova, following similar coup wey happun for neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali.

Niger na number seven for world in terms of di biggest uranium producers. Even though na like four percent of global production dey come from dia, for 2022 di EU nuclear agency, Euratom reveal say one quater of di uranium wey di European Union bin import come from di kontri.

In di last ten years na only Kazakhstan wey be neighbour with Russia and China bin export more uranium give France, wey pass di one wey Niger export.

Last month coup don put question mark for dis supply. Fear dey say di new junta go cut dia uranium deliveries sake of of di European sanctions and boycotts. But no be say na di junta tok am sha.

If e happun, Euratom say enough uranium for world market dey wey fit meet EU needs for three years, so dat mata no fit cause kasala now-now.

Di French nuclear fuel company, Orano, wey dem bin formerly call Areva, wey get mine for Niger town of Airlit tok say dia work go still continue even afta di coup.

Recently, France don increase wia dia uranium supply dey come from wey sabi pipo say fit fill in di gap if Niger cut off supply.

But market sabi pipo say dis stopgaps dey fall inside Russia and China hand.

If Niger pursue di French and welcome di Russians or Chinese, e go tight market for Western needs. Dis na according to wetin sabi pesin on political risk management, Ben Godin tell tori pipo DW News.

Kazakstan wey dey control 40% of di world uranium production, recently sell 50% share of one of dia biggest uranium mines give Russia.

China sef don dey pump plenti moni in investments inside di kontri.

Di China National Nuclear Corporation don already put about US$480 million for Niger ontop uranium exploration. Dis na wetin di China Ministry of Commerce reveal, na sake of say dem wan get more stake for di global control of uranium.

Di EU wey include France wan comot dia hand make dem no too dey depend on Russia uranium. Even wen EU place sanctions for Russia oil and gas, dem no touch uranium. And Russia dey look like dem wan keep di staus-quo. Oga Godwin tok say, any threat to supply from Niger go keep Russian uranium for key role.

Meanwhile any cut in supply fit affect Niger too. First of all, Niger fit find am hard to find anoda partner to help mine and follow sell uranium give.

Secondly, e fit mean say di kontri go get less money from uranium exports and Niger no too carry like dat. Di land locked kontri na wia foreign aid make up nine percent of dia GDP and na about 40% of goment budget.

Some Western partners dey also act like say dem wan follow wetin US do by pausing some of di aid to Niger wey fit cause economic downturn to di 25 million pipo for Niger, of which 40% dey live inside poverty. Di kontri get one of di lowest ranking for di United Nations Human Development Index. E carry 189 position out of 191 kontris.

If Niger lose France as buyer for dia uranium, dia new military leaders fit offer am to China. Dis na becos China na Niger second biggest investor afta dia former colonial leader wey be France.

Even though Russia neva officially confam say dia hand dey inside di coup, pro-Kremlin pipo for Niger don dey praise am.

Worry dey say Russia Wagner mercenaries fit seize di opportunity to reach di kontri uranium and dia oda natural resources like diamonds, gold and oil.

Russia influence also dey worry pipo ontop security mata. For Mali wey dey close to Niger, thousands of Wagner fighters full di kontri afta dem bin face dia own coup. Since then, Mali don experience more violent attacks by extremists.

As at now, US and France dey operate military bases for Niger to take fight jihadist activities for di kontri and wider region.

But wetin go happun to di bases no clear and worries dey say insurgents go use di political instability to take grow dia reach.

Dis fit be di reason why Ecowas and dia western partners dey push constitutional order for Niger.

Dem dey fear say weak state fit cause Niger uranium, wey get civilian and military uses, to enta wrong hands for di region wia militant Islamists dey active, and wia Russia and di Wagner group dey expand dia influence.

US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and oda kontris don give dia support to Ecowas and di work dem dey do to bring back constitutional order.

Ecowas bin give Niger coup leaders seven days to step down or face military intervention. Na on Sunday di deadline expire.

Since then Ecowas don announce say dem go hold summit for Abuja, Nigeria capital on Thursday to discuss di Niger political and security situation.

Till then, na fear just dey catch everybodi on top Niger mata and di wider region.