Buhari should be using his closeness to Niger Republic’s President Mahamadou Issoufou to carve out a niche in the global uranium market

By Ayo Akinfe

(1) It is no secret that President Buhari is very close with President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic. The Niger President is from Tahoua province right on the border with Nigeria, which is just about two hours drive from Daura if one goes through Maradi

(2) Although President Issoufou is not an ethnic Fulani, he probably sees President Buhari as a kinsman. Kind of like the way former President Thomas Boni Yayi of Benin Republic could relate to President Obasanjo. President Yayi is from Tchaourou, which is about an hour’s drive from Shaki in Oyo State

(3) Over the last few days, President Buhari has been in Daura. I would be surprised if President Issoufou did not drive down to see him. As part of their discussions on cross border and economic integration, they should be discussing building a West African uranium conglomerate that will be a dominant player in the global market place

(4) Niger Republic has two significant uranium mines providing about 5% of world output. Given the demand for this premium product, that is enough to have a say in the global price. As the world’s fifth largest supplier producing about 3,000 tonnes a year, Niger Republic is a very important player in the global market

(5) Uranium-235 is the only naturally occurring fissile isotope, which makes it widely used in nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons. Niger Republic is never going to have a nuclear plant, so they simply have to process it and export their finished products for a kings ransom

(6) Because of the tiny amounts found in nature, uranium needs to undergo enrichment so that enough uranium-235 is present. Now, that processing of Niger Republic’s uranium should be taking place in Nigeria. Why has President Buhari not proposed building a massive uranium processing plant in Katsina State?

(7) Given the proximity of Katsina State to Niger Republic, it would be an ideal location for such a facility. Transport would be easy and if we had such a factory, it would justify building a railway link between the two countries

(8) It makes more economic sense to build a uranium processing plant in Daura than to build a transport university there. Just imagine the number of transport and manufacturing workers this would employ

(9) Can I just add that uranium is not just used for nuclear plants and weapons. Other uses of depleted uranium include counterweights for aircraft control surfaces, as ballast for missile re-entry vehicles and as a shielding material. Also, due to its high density, this material is found in inertial guidance systems and in gyroscopic compasses

(10) Production from world uranium mines now supplies 90% of the requirements of power utilities. Just imagine what impact that would have on the economies of Nigeria and Niger Republic if we had a vertically integrated supply chain