• Niger plans nuclear plant with Russia, two 1,000 MW reactors
  
  
• Seeks energy sovereignty despite low electrification, uranium decline
  
  
• Nuclear gains ground in Africa amid new global financing support
  

Niger has announced its ambition to construct a nuclear power plant featuring two 1,000 MW reactors each, in partnership with Russia. The announcement was made by Mines Minister Colonel Abarchi Ousmane at a roundtable presided over by Russian President Vladimir Putin during the World Atomic Energy Week Forum in Moscow.

The project aligns with a broader trend across Africa, where nuclear power is increasingly appearing in national energy plans, even as concrete projects remain limited. In late June, at the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), affirmed that nuclear energy, as a “sustainable, CO2​-free energy source,” is becoming a credible option for African nations. Days before that, the IAEA signed an agreement with the World Bank, lifting a long-standing historic blockage on financial support for the sector, which had often been deemed too risky.

For Niamey, the challenge is immense. Despite being Africa's second-largest uranium producer and eighth globally, with 962 tons in 2024 (though figures are notably declining, according to the World Nuclear Association), Niger’s national electrification rate was only about 20% in 2022, one of the lowest in Africa, according to the World Bank. Betting on atomic energy is therefore aimed at transforming this strategic resource into a tool for energy sovereignty.

The cooperation with Russia, through its state nuclear corporation Rosatom, which is already active in Egypt, also reflects a desire to diversify strategic partnerships. The joint presence of the Minister of Mines, the Minister of Energy, the President of the Nigerian Atomic Energy Authority (HANEA), and the Director General of the Société des mines de l'Aïr (Somaïr) underscores a serious political commitment to the project. The critical questions of financing and timeline, however, remain open.

If realized, the power plant would fundamentally redefine Niger’s energy landscape. It would also accelerate an African trend where nuclear power, long marginalized, is now emerging as a credible alternative in the quest for greater electricity access and reduced emissions.

Abdoullah Diop