The Chinese-owned Soluxe International Hotel, inaugurated in 2013 as a symbol of Sino-Nigerien cooperation, has had its operating license permanently revoked due to discriminatory practices and administrative violations.
In a decree signed on 6 March, Niger’s Minister of Crafts and Tourism, Soufiane Aghatchata Guichene, ordered the definitive withdrawal of the operating license for the Soluxe International Hotel in Niamey, a prestigious establishment built by Chinese investors at a cost of 25 billion CFA francs.
Serious Violations Prompt Administrative Closure
“The authorization to operate the tourism establishment known as Soluxe International Hotel Niamey, granted to the private company Soluxe International SARL, is hereby permanently revoked,” states the ministerial decree received by APA.
The Nigerien authorities cited grave infractions to justify this drastic measure, including “discriminatory practices and the unjustified denial of access to individuals of other nationalities, unauthorized expansion works without notifying the Ministry of Tourism, and inaccurate reporting of data related to the Tourism Development Fund (FDT) tax units.”
This decision comes at a time when Niger is paradoxically strengthening certain partnerships with China, as evidenced by a framework agreement signed in January 2025 between the Nigerien Ministry of National Defense and the WAPCO oil project to secure petroleum operations.
An Ambitious Project Ends Abruptly
The license revocation brings to an end the operations of a facility launched with great fanfare in August 2013. At the time, Mohamed Bazoum—then a State Minister who later became Niger’s president in 2021 before being ousted two years later by the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) led by General Abdourahamane Tiani—laid the cornerstone of what was hailed as a flagship project of Sino-Nigerien cooperation.
Spanning eight hectares in the Gamkallé district, the hotel boasted 224 rooms and suites, a 260-seat gourmet restaurant, multipurpose halls, a swimming pool, and various recreational facilities. The project was expected to generate 295 direct and permanent jobs.
“Once operational, this modern hotel, built to international standards, will be the largest and best-equipped of its kind in Niger,” China’s then-ambassador to Niger, Shi Hu, declared at the time.
Potential Fallout for Sino-Nigerien Relations
This administrative closure could impact relations between Niger and China, particularly as the CNSP-led authorities reassess certain international partnerships.
AC/sf/lb/gik/APA