By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
Several African countries, pursuing nuclear energy to tackle power challenges and to drive economic development goals and industrialization, are hampered primarily due to lack of adequate funds and financing models. Energy ambitions and commitments are further slackened as a result of official government’s administrative bureaucracy and shareholders slow engagement combined with prolonged delays in sourcing the required funding for nuclear projects identified across Africa.
In addition, construction of nuclear power practically involves securing the approval of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which satisfying the systemic technical requirements including its technical support, safety systems, suitable site locations and environmental conditions. These technical hurdles transitioning from feasibility assessments into stages of construction, mostly characterize the adoption of nuclear projects in Africa.
Understandably, Africa’s nuclear readiness risks key technical operations and marginal administrative budget from governments. Without adequate budgetary allocation and vendor’s financial support, nuclear will remain as a political declaration. In short, the factors mentioned above exacerbate Africa’s nuclear dreams these several years. According authentic reports, Africa’s population—more 800 million people without access to electricity, energy for domestic utilization, while absence power impact heavily on industrialization across the continent.
For ensuring energy security, Russia has signed bilateral agreements with 16 African countries to provide energy facilities. Under construction, it has the first power unit at the Egyptian El Dabaa nuclear power plant, explicitly demonstrating the transition into a crucial stage in the technological outfitting of the future plant. In the foreseeable future, it will begin generating the electricity required to meet the needs of Egypt’s growing economy. This reflects the best traditions of the interstate mutual ties, which have been built over many decades. While this is not an exclusive ‘charity’ project, but being implemented within the framework of an agreement, Egypt has to use Russia’s loan of $28 billion.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has outlined and laid down specific technical aspects of adopting and step-by-step procedures for building nuclear power plants. It plays a critical role as a neutral regulator and enabler of nuclear development worldwide. In Africa, the IAEA supports countries in establishing the legal, regulatory, and infrastructural frameworks necessary for launching peaceful nuclear programs. It provides guidance and helps newcomer countries build responsible and safe nuclear energy programs.
Worthy to say that Africa has to be serious with development issues. Throughout 2024, several posts on social media platforms such as Facebook, Telegram, TikTok, X and Russia’s VKontakte, promoting Russia as building nuclear plants in Burkina Faso was mere geopolitical propaganda and solidarity. Until today, Russia connection to building nuclear facility has never seen daylight, completely disappeared from the world news reports. There are strict procedures to follow, not just bilateral policy publicity.
In late September 2025, during the Global Atomic Forum, as part of World Atomic Week, which marked the 80th anniversary of Russia’s nuclear industry and was appropriately themed: “From a New Technological Paradigm to a New Worldview” for the event, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered substantive discussions on a range of issues concerning the present and future of the nuclear industry.
Putin highlighted the following: a growing number of countries and large companies view peaceful nuclear energy as a vital resource for long-term, accelerated development. Public attitudes are also steadily evolving, with nuclear energy increasingly recognized as an environmentally friendly technology that offers enormous opportunities.
According to his explanation, there are fundamental reasons for this paradigm shift. (i) the reliable solutions that underpin the creation of advanced nuclear power, and as a critical factor, the emergence of a fundamentally new technological paradigm; (ii) Russia is already deploying its nuclear power plants, as they are best placed to provide a uniform, constant power supply; (iii) the nuclear power plants are the key source of clean low-carbon energy and ensure clean environmental performance, as well as the ability to provide stable generating capacity.
The geopolitical situation is also driving the European Commission (EC) to step up its investment influence across Africa, making consistent efforts at capitalizing on and exploring several emerging opportunities in the continent. The EC has, among others, itemized the necessity to support energy initiatives in the continent. In practical reality, to reinforce its influence, the EC has directed its steadfast policy focus on promoting sustainable energy development during the last quarter of 2025. Reports show that Europe has unveiled a €300 billion ($340 billion) alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative—an investment program the bloc claims will create links, not dependencies.
For instance, Europe has allocated €618 million for renewable energy projects across Africa, according to the latest reports of the European Commission. The funds are for implementing these projects in eight African countries: Kenya (€55 million), Uganda (€60 million), Democratic Republic of Congo (€125 million), Mauritania (€125 million), Nigeria (€20 million), Cape Verde (€39 million), Zambia (€129 million) and Tanzania (€59 million).
In November 2025, it was also clear that from the speech delivered at African leaders summit, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola and Chairperson of the African Union (AU), stressed that Africa must invest between $130 billion and $170 billion to lay the foundation for sustainable growth. “We must move from words to action,” President Lourenço urged. “This summit represents a decisive step toward mobilizing the resources needed to enhance connectivity and integration across our continent.”
Nevertheless, the Regional Economic blocs and the African Union (AU) have to play significant roles in Africa this energy security, to drive industrialization, related economic growth and consequently, create employment for the current generation. The Africa’s energy infrastructure development stands as a definitive moment, signaling Africa’s unified resolve to finance its own destiny and build the interconnected, prosperous future its people deserve, here lies starkly the significance of African Union’s 2063 Agenda.
