Niger oil scandal: how Minister Hamadou Tini forced his own firm back into SORAZ

Nearly eighteen months after the events of July 26, 2023, in Niamey, the grand promises of a “Refoundation” and a clean break from the past are crumbling under the weight of oil sector mismanagement. At the center of this storm is the newly appointed Minister of Petroleum, Hamadou Tini, who stands accused of violating basic ethical standards by occupying multiple conflicting roles. A former executive at the Mazars audit firm, Hamadou Tini is now allegedly using his state authority to revive contracts for his private interests, demanding full access to the strategic secrets of SORAZ. This investigation reveals a profound conflict of interest at the highest levels of government, where financial auditing has been transformed into a tool for political purging and private gain.

From revolutionary rhetoric to the return of lobbyists

Immediately following their rise to power, the military leaders of the Conseil national pour la sauvegarde de la patrie (CNSP) championed economic sovereignty as their primary goal. Their main target was clear: the management of petroleum resources, specifically the Société de raffinage de Zinder (SORAZ). Official broadcasts at the time condemned the previous democratic administration and its international partners for exploitative practices.

Among those targeted was Mazars, an international consulting firm that had worked with the Niger state for a decade. The new regime, backed by complaints from the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), accused Mazars of producing biased audits and effectively banned them from the country’s economic landscape. The official stance was firm: Niamey would seek a neutral, independent international firm to scrutinize SORAZ.

However, behind the scenes, powerful influence networks were at work. Through intense lobbying, a senior figure from Mazars managed to infiltrate the state apparatus. In January 2026, under the direct sponsorship of General Mody, the accountant Hamadou Tini was appointed Minister of Petroleum. This move signaled the triumphant return of the very firm he had served just weeks prior.

The Minister as client, provider, and paymaster

Upon taking office, Hamadou Tini wasted no time in prioritizing his own interests. Leveraging his ministerial power, he immediately reinstated the financial and management audit of SORAZ. Crucially, he mandated that this strategic mission be awarded to his own firm, Mazars, claiming it was necessary to “finalize their previous work and ensure payment.”

This contractual maneuver represents an unprecedented conflict of interest. The Minister of Petroleum now finds himself acting as the client ordering the audit for Niger, the service provider executing the task via Mazars, the final recipient of the audit findings, and the sole authority signing the public checks to pay for the service.

This concentration of roles strips the state of any guarantee of objectivity. It is impossible for a firm to audit a public entity independently when its own mentor and former leader is the supervising minister.

An ultimatum for confidential data

The power play extends beyond mere contracts. With the transition’s future remains uncertain, the Tini faction is moving with haste. The minister recently issued a stern directive to the management of SORAZ that leaves no room for negotiation.

In this ministerial order, Hamadou Tini demands that Mazars be given “immediate and unrestricted access to all financial, accounting, technical, and operational documents within eight days.” These are the exact strategic and confidential data points that the refinery management and Chinese partners had previously guarded to protect trade secrets.

Observers in Niamey note that by having previously scrutinized SORAZ from the outside, the minister knows exactly which accounting vulnerabilities to target to achieve his objectives.

The mystery of the ousted ministers

This aggressive takeover of SORAZ sheds light on the chronic instability within the Ministry of Petroleum since the coup. In just three years, three different ministers have held the post, a sequence of departures that appears closely linked to the secrets of the Zinder refinery.

Before Hamadou Tini, Minister Mahaman Moustapha Barké had announced a major audit of SORAZ in June 2024. Months later, on January 13, 2025, he was arrested and detained by the Direction générale de la documentation et de la sécurité extérieure (DGDSE). He was held in secret for nearly a year without legal proceedings until his release in early 2026. His successor, Dr. Sahabi Oumarou, also attempted to launch an audit in February 2025 before being abruptly removed from his position.

Industry insiders now suggest that Hamadou Tini played an active role in the downfall of his predecessors. While still working for Mazars, he reportedly authored targeted memos and reports designed to discredit Barké and Oumarou in the eyes of the junta. The goal was twofold: remove obstacles to Mazars‘ return and pave the way for his own appointment.

A ‘Refoundation’ in crisis

The SORAZ affair highlights the deep contradictions within the Niamey regime. While the population of Niger faces the economic hardships of diplomatic isolation and waits for the promised benefits of oil wealth, these resources appear to be serving narrow corporate interests instead.

What was once framed by civil society as a necessary act of transparency and public health has become a weapon in a war between rival factions. In the hands of the minister-auditor, the process serves as both a shield to hide conflicts of interest and a source of revenue for his original firm. For the “Refoundation” promised by the CNSP, the conclusion is grim: the methods of managing Niger‘s oil have not changed; only the beneficiaries have.