Long before the first and second Russia-Africa summits (October 2019 and July 2023), President Putin had been touting Russia’s nuclear energy cooperation with Africa since his first year in office. Putin signed numerous agreements with African nations for construction of nuclear power plants long before the first summit, though until recently, many of those agreements lay dormant.
South Africa was the first, in 2004, followed by Nigeria (2012 and 2016), Algeria (2014), Ghana (2015), Tunisia and Zambia (2016), Sudan (2017), Rwanda (2018), and Ethiopia, the Republic of Congo, and Uganda (2019). Kenya (2016) and Morocco (2017) both signed Memoranda of Understanding.
In 2023, after military coups had ousted elected governments in former French colonies Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali, Russia was quick to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on nuclear energy. This bold move drew international attention as part of Russia’s information propaganda on social media toasted its preparedness to support these states’ development initiatives.
Today, the first fruits of those long-term agreements are moving forward. Russia and Nigeria began discussions in 2011 on an agreement for the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of Nigeria’s first nuclear power plant. Nigeria then selected two potential sites, and in 2019, Rosatom signed an agreement to develop energy in Nigeria for peaceful purposes.
In 2014, Russia signed a $50 billion strategic partnership with the Republic of South Africa to significantly increase its nuclear power generation capacity. Rosatom promised to provide up to eight nuclear reactors to South Africa by 2023, enabling the foundation of the first nuclear power plant based on Russian technology on the African continent. South Africa’s first (and only) active nuclear power plant at Koeberg was built by the French group Areva.
But, according to a Carnegie report, the controversy over corruption arising from the deal triggered “strong pushback and legal challenges from South Africa’s institutional checks and balances, civil society groups, and independent media.” The verdict was that the Kremlin had overreached, leaning too heavily on the legacy of Cold War era relationships forged with leaders of national liberation movements. In 2017, a South African court voided the deal as illegal and unconstitutional.
When the current South African government in 2023 announced new plans to build new nuclear power plants to generate much-needed electricity, the move was immediately criticized by opposition politicians over the obvious fact that Rosatom was the government’s “preferred partner.” The new proposal came a day after the government approved an agreement with the U.S.-sanctioned Russian bank Gazprombank to restart a gas-to-liquids oil refinery that had been out of operation since 2020.
By February 2025, however, South Africa’s growing estrangement with the United States led President Cyril Ramaphosa to flesh out his nation’s participation in the BRICS group to pursue further action on nuclear energy with Russia—and possibly Russian ally Iran. The government wanted to add 2,500 megawatts of capacity at its Koeberg nuclear power plant and did not want to restrict bids from Russia and Iran.
Earlier this month, South Africa’s environment minister upheld a 2017 decision granting state-owned power utility Eskom authorization to build and operate a 4,000-megawatt nuclear power station in Duynefontein, near the existing Koeberg nuclear power plant. This victory over environmental groups also put a new deal with Russia on the table – one deemed necessary because the U.S.-South Africa agreement for nuclear fuel and equipment, upon which Koeberg Unit 1 relied for reactor fuel, had expired in 2022.
Meanwhile, in nearby Namibia, already a major oil producing and uranium exporting nation, it was reported in April that Russia was seeking a nuclear agreement. With reports that Namibia could supply up to 10% of global demand for nuclear fuel, the nation’s uranium production has been on the rise. In August, Namibia endorsed a bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the international body that sets rules for export of nuclear technology and materials to prevent their use in weapons.
Also in August, Russia signed a nuclear energy cooperation agreement with Niger and fellow members of West Africa’s Alliance of Sahel States – a major step in securing Russia’s foothold in the region. The Sahel States and Russia plan to collaborate on electricity generation, nuclear medicine, infrastructure development, and specialist training. The agreement came after a pullout of U.S. and EU military forces which prompted Russia to voice support for the new regime. Niger, like Namibia, has significant uranium reserves.
As the U.S. and European Union reconsider partnerships in the region following coups and rising authoritarianism, and as China is increasingly seen as an abusive partner, Russia is filling the void left behind, offering support in exchange for long-term strategic leverage. Today, Russia has active nuclear sector agreements with at least 15 African nations, and Rosatom holds about 70% of the global export market for new nuclear plants.
Russian involvement has spread across the entire African continent, from Morocco, which in 2022 signed an agreement to win Russian support for a nuclear power plant, to Egypt, where construction of a $30 billion nuclear power plant near El Dabaa under a 2015 agreement with Rosatom is nearing completion – with project completion expected by 2029.
Russian investors have also agreed with Zimbabwe to build small modular nuclear reactors to boost energy capacity from 2,600 MW to 4,000 MW by 2035. A 200 MW solar nuclear power plant in Mali is in the planning stages, as is a possible nuclear power plant in Ethiopia. In a deal with Rwanda to build nuclear power stations, Russia will also train Rwandans in nuclear energy. An agreement with Burundi covers nuclear infrastructure development, legal regulation, research, radioisotope production for industry, and many other areas.
Zambia and Russia have agreed to make that nation a hub for nuclear science via a partnership with Zambia’s Radiation Protection Service. Under a 2019 agreement, Rosatom is working with Uganda on nuclear infrastructure, radioisotope production, and education, as the nation prepares to begin using its uranium deposits by 2050. Rosatom, in 2024, signed an agreement with Guinea to develop floating power units to supply electricity for its Baimsky mining plant.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Office of Nuclear Energy held its first-ever U.S.-Africa nuclear energy summit in Accra, Ghana, in May 2024, boasting that the event “laid a foundation for sustainable nuclear energy growth” across the continent. Never mind that Russia was far, far ahead.
At the event, then U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Virginia E. Palmer pledged to Africans that “The United States is your 100-year nuclear energy partner.”
But African nations today well understand that deeds, not words, make for a good partnership.
Duggan Flanakin is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow. This article was sourced HERE
South Africa was the first, in 2004, followed by Nigeria (2012 and 2016), Algeria (2014), Ghana (2015), Tunisia and Zambia (2016), Sudan (2017), Rwanda (2018), and Ethiopia, the Republic of Congo, and Uganda (2019). Kenya (2016) and Morocco (2017) both signed Memoranda of Understanding.
In 2023, after military coups had ousted elected governments in former French colonies Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali, Russia was quick to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on nuclear energy. This bold move drew international attention as part of Russia’s information propaganda on social media toasted its preparedness to support these states’ development initiatives.
Today, the first fruits of those long-term agreements are moving forward. Russia and Nigeria began discussions in 2011 on an agreement for the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of Nigeria’s first nuclear power plant. Nigeria then selected two potential sites, and in 2019, Rosatom signed an agreement to develop energy in Nigeria for peaceful purposes.
In 2014, Russia signed a $50 billion strategic partnership with the Republic of South Africa to significantly increase its nuclear power generation capacity. Rosatom promised to provide up to eight nuclear reactors to South Africa by 2023, enabling the foundation of the first nuclear power plant based on Russian technology on the African continent. South Africa’s first (and only) active nuclear power plant at Koeberg was built by the French group Areva.
But, according to a Carnegie report, the controversy over corruption arising from the deal triggered “strong pushback and legal challenges from South Africa’s institutional checks and balances, civil society groups, and independent media.” The verdict was that the Kremlin had overreached, leaning too heavily on the legacy of Cold War era relationships forged with leaders of national liberation movements. In 2017, a South African court voided the deal as illegal and unconstitutional.
When the current South African government in 2023 announced new plans to build new nuclear power plants to generate much-needed electricity, the move was immediately criticized by opposition politicians over the obvious fact that Rosatom was the government’s “preferred partner.” The new proposal came a day after the government approved an agreement with the U.S.-sanctioned Russian bank Gazprombank to restart a gas-to-liquids oil refinery that had been out of operation since 2020.
By February 2025, however, South Africa’s growing estrangement with the United States led President Cyril Ramaphosa to flesh out his nation’s participation in the BRICS group to pursue further action on nuclear energy with Russia—and possibly Russian ally Iran. The government wanted to add 2,500 megawatts of capacity at its Koeberg nuclear power plant and did not want to restrict bids from Russia and Iran.
Earlier this month, South Africa’s environment minister upheld a 2017 decision granting state-owned power utility Eskom authorization to build and operate a 4,000-megawatt nuclear power station in Duynefontein, near the existing Koeberg nuclear power plant. This victory over environmental groups also put a new deal with Russia on the table – one deemed necessary because the U.S.-South Africa agreement for nuclear fuel and equipment, upon which Koeberg Unit 1 relied for reactor fuel, had expired in 2022.
Meanwhile, in nearby Namibia, already a major oil producing and uranium exporting nation, it was reported in April that Russia was seeking a nuclear agreement. With reports that Namibia could supply up to 10% of global demand for nuclear fuel, the nation’s uranium production has been on the rise. In August, Namibia endorsed a bid to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the international body that sets rules for export of nuclear technology and materials to prevent their use in weapons.
Also in August, Russia signed a nuclear energy cooperation agreement with Niger and fellow members of West Africa’s Alliance of Sahel States – a major step in securing Russia’s foothold in the region. The Sahel States and Russia plan to collaborate on electricity generation, nuclear medicine, infrastructure development, and specialist training. The agreement came after a pullout of U.S. and EU military forces which prompted Russia to voice support for the new regime. Niger, like Namibia, has significant uranium reserves.
As the U.S. and European Union reconsider partnerships in the region following coups and rising authoritarianism, and as China is increasingly seen as an abusive partner, Russia is filling the void left behind, offering support in exchange for long-term strategic leverage. Today, Russia has active nuclear sector agreements with at least 15 African nations, and Rosatom holds about 70% of the global export market for new nuclear plants.
Russian involvement has spread across the entire African continent, from Morocco, which in 2022 signed an agreement to win Russian support for a nuclear power plant, to Egypt, where construction of a $30 billion nuclear power plant near El Dabaa under a 2015 agreement with Rosatom is nearing completion – with project completion expected by 2029.
Russian investors have also agreed with Zimbabwe to build small modular nuclear reactors to boost energy capacity from 2,600 MW to 4,000 MW by 2035. A 200 MW solar nuclear power plant in Mali is in the planning stages, as is a possible nuclear power plant in Ethiopia. In a deal with Rwanda to build nuclear power stations, Russia will also train Rwandans in nuclear energy. An agreement with Burundi covers nuclear infrastructure development, legal regulation, research, radioisotope production for industry, and many other areas.
Zambia and Russia have agreed to make that nation a hub for nuclear science via a partnership with Zambia’s Radiation Protection Service. Under a 2019 agreement, Rosatom is working with Uganda on nuclear infrastructure, radioisotope production, and education, as the nation prepares to begin using its uranium deposits by 2050. Rosatom, in 2024, signed an agreement with Guinea to develop floating power units to supply electricity for its Baimsky mining plant.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Office of Nuclear Energy held its first-ever U.S.-Africa nuclear energy summit in Accra, Ghana, in May 2024, boasting that the event “laid a foundation for sustainable nuclear energy growth” across the continent. Never mind that Russia was far, far ahead.
At the event, then U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Virginia E. Palmer pledged to Africans that “The United States is your 100-year nuclear energy partner.”
But African nations today well understand that deeds, not words, make for a good partnership.
Duggan Flanakin is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow. This article was sourced HERE
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