Canada's Southampton Ventures Inc, Delta Exploration Inc and UraMin Inc., Britain's COJ Commodity Investments Ltd., Agadez Ltd. and Indo Energy Ltd., and India's Taurian Resources Pvt Ltd. are among the firms granted uranium exploration permits by the African country of Niger.

A total of 23 permits were granted, allowing the companies to explore in Niger's Arlit and Tchirozerine regions, which consist of vast swathes of land in the southern Sahara desert.

The companies are expected to invest $55 million in exploration activities over the next three years.

Niger is the word's third largest producer of uranium.