Somebody recently asked why the anti-French sentiment was so high in West Africa and in particular in Niger. After all, France is the land of lights and liberties, so why would anyone not like France? The person argued that Africans and Nigeriens in particular had no reason to have such feelings toward France.

For all who look at the index of countries in the world, Niger is the poorest country in the world, yet it is so rich in uranium, and among the world’s first producers of uranium in the world. For many years, France’s nuclear centrals were fully furnished ONLY by the uranium from Niger, and in 2021 Niger was the main supplier for the EU.

Let’s do the math, focusing just on uranium, shall we? Niger produces about 130,000 tons of uranium per year. Uranium was not traded internationally for many years. At some point, the price for 1 kg of uranium was about 200 Euros, worth about 131,118 FCFA (the currency imposed upon Niger and 14 other countries in Africa by France, FCFA, The 11 Components of the French Colonial Tax in Africa). Thus, this uranium should bring to Niger about 26,000,000,000 Euros per year ==> 26,000,000,000 x 655.59 FCFA = 17,045,340,000,000 FCFA. It has been over 50 years that uranium has been exploited in Niger. Thus, 26,000,000,000 Euros in 50 years = 1,300,000,000,000 Euros or 17,045,340,000,000 FCFA in 50 years = 852,267,000,000,000 FCFA.

However, France does not pay Niger’s uranium 200 Euros per kg, but rather 0.80 Euro per kg (4000 FCFA vs 131,118 FCFA Industrial Info Resources)!!! And when Mamadou Tamdja, former president of Niger asked France to increase the price to 10 meager Euros, he was deposed in a coup d’etat (Africa: Can you Feel the Wind of Change?)!

Thus for 130,000 tons of uranium per year, Niger receives 520,000,000,000 FCFA. In 50 years, Niger has only gotten about 26,000,000,000,000 FCFA.

In summary, Niger losses equal 852,267,000,000,000 – 26,000,000,000,000 FCFA = 826,267,000,000,000 FCFA = 1,294,800,000,000 Euros in 50 years of exploitation of Niger. And all this math is without counting the money taken away by France with the FCFA currency (∼50%)! No wonder Niger is so poor!

Then in recent days, we heard France’s government claim in the media that France gives out 130,000,000 Euros per year to Niger for help; France is so generous, isn’t it? However, this amount represents about 1/200th of what France has been “taking” home from Niger from uranium only. Remember that France’s companies in Niger (and in countless other African countries) do not pay taxes in Niger, but in France! And this is only the uranium of Niger! Niger has gold, and other resources that France has been taking out dirt cheap. This is only Niger, JUST think about the other 14 African countries!!! NO WONDER NIGER IS POOR… ITS WEALTH IS IN FRANCE’S COFFERS. After this mathematics exercise, if you were Nigerien, can you love France?

P.S.: The current price of uranium is about $73 per lbs, so about 70 Euros/lbs today. This exercise can be done to apply to today’s prices.