Mr. Murray Nye reports

NORTH AMERICAN NIOBIUM AND CRITICAL MINERALS CORP. PLANS PHASE 2 RADON SURVEY AND LOW-IMPACT BACKPACK DRILLING AT BLANCHETTE, BARDY AND SEIGNEURIE PROPERTIES, QUEBEC

North American Niobium and Critical Minerals Corp. has planned a phase 2 follow-up exploration program combining a soil-gas radon survey conducted by RadonEx Ltd. with a low-impact backpack drilling program to validate and refine target areas and support drill targeting across the company's 100-per-cent-owned Blanchette, Bardy and Seigneurie properties in Quebec.

Highlights:

• Phase 2 start date: program planned to commence Jan. 30, 2026;
• Blanchette and Bardy: approximately two weeks of soil-gas radon surveying with RadonEx, conducted in tandem with backpack drilling in areas of identified radon anomalies, to refine targets, evaluate potential extensions of the systems and identify additional priority drill targets;
• Seigneurie: a further approximately 10-day program is planned following the Blanchette and Bardy work, including a soil-gas radon survey and backpack drilling, along with a high-resolution magnetic survey to support target definition and prioritization.

Planned phase 2 work program

At Blanchette and Bardy, the company plans to advance priority areas through a soil-gas radon survey conducted by RadonEx in tandem with a backpack drilling program. The objective is to validate radon anomalies interpreted to be associated with mineralization, refine target geometry, and support the identification of additional priority targets for subsequent exploration and potential drilling.

Backpack drilling is a portable, low-impact, gas-powered drilling method intended to support rapid follow-up sampling. Importantly, the company's planned backpack drilling approach does not require hydraulic force machinery and is aligned with Quebec's regulatory framework for exploration activities, including the ATI (autorisation pour travaux d'exploration a impacts) permitting regime. The equipment and method are consistent with the type of tools commonly used to conduct overburden sampling, as referenced in Quebec's ATI Guide du promoteur, and are intended to minimize surface disturbance while enabling targeted sampling. The tool can be used to sample the overburden and, where conditions allow, collect samples from the uppermost bedrock concealed beneath overburden cover to help refine and prioritize targets.

Following the Blanchette and Bardy work, the company also plans an additional approximately 10-day program at its Seigneurie property in Quebec's Haute-Cote-Nord area near the municipality of Longue-Rive, which is expected to include soil-gas radon surveying and backpack drilling, as well as a high-resolution magnetic survey, to further define and prioritize target areas and guide subsequent exploration.

Exploration activities will be conducted in accordance with applicable requirements, and remain subject to typical operational considerations, including weather and site conditions.

"Phase 2 is designed to be a practical, low-impact program that helps us move quickly from anomalies to prioritized targets," said Murray Nye, chief executive officer of North American Niobium. "By running RadonEx soil-gas radon surveying alongside backpack drilling, we can rapidly test and refine anomalies. The backpack drill is a low-impact gas-powered tool that can sample the overburden and, in some cases, the surface of bedrock hidden underneath that overburden -- helping us evaluate potential extensions of these systems and generate additional drill targets."

About North American Niobium and Critical Minerals Corp.

North American Niobium is a North American mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of precious, base and critical mineral assets. Its portfolio includes the Silver Lake property in British Columbia's Omineca mining division and a recently acquired land package in Quebec's Grenville province. The Quebec properties add exposure to rare earth elements, niobium and nickel-copper occurrences, expanding the company's footprint into critical minerals that are strategically important for energy and defence applications.

Qualified person

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 (Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects). Clyde McMillan, PGeo, a consultant to the company, a qualified person as defined under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained herein.

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