Niger’s military government has cancelled the concessions of three gold mining companies—Comini, Afrior, and Ecomine—citing failure to meet contractual obligations. The companies allegedly neglected tax payments, technical reporting, and environmental compliance.

The ruling junta, in power since a 2023 military coup, has also denied a licence extension to British oil firm Savannah Energy, accusing it of not fulfilling the terms of its output-sharing contract.

Officials stated that the revoked concessions were originally granted between 2017 and 2020, but the companies did not honour their commitments, prompting the government to assert greater control over the country’s resources.

Niger, a key producer of uranium, gold, and oil, currently operates only one active industrial gold mine, the Samira gold mine, which the junta nationalised last year.

Savannah Energy’s denied licence covered four oil blocks in the Agadem Rift Basin, Niger’s main oil-producing region. The company had previously reported a significant oil discovery in the basin.

The government emphasized that compliance with contracts and resource management is mandatory for all foreign companies, signaling stricter enforcement policies going forward.