JOHANNESBURG, July 5 (Reuters) - Canadian miner GoviEx

Uranium ( GVXXF ) said its has been stripped of its right to

develop a uranium project in Niger, just weeks after the West

African country revoked a mining permit held by French firm

Orano SA.

GoviEx has been informed by Niger's mines ministry that it

no longer holds the rights over the perimeter of the Madaouela

mining permit, which is now in the public domain, the company

said in a statement released on Thursday.

The company said it "reserves the right to challenge the

decision to withdraw the mining rights before the competent

national or international jurisdictions".

Orano said on June 20 that the Niger government, which came

into power through a coup in 2023, had scrapped a mining permit

for its subsidiary Imouraren. Niger possesses Africa's

highest-grade uranium ores and is the world's seventh-largest

uranium producer.

The radioactive metal is the most widely used fuel for

nuclear energy. It is also used in treating cancer, for naval

propulsion, and in nuclear weapons.

The setback for GoviEx comes as it was in the process of

raising about $200 million through debt financing to fund the

Madaouela project.