By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Niger’s mining minister Ousmane Abarchi on Thursday announced that his country is partnering with Russia’s state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom to build two 2,000-megawatt nuclear reactors, the first of its kind in the West African sub-region.
According to the Minister, Niger is also aiming to reach partnership with Russia in developing uranium reserves in the west African country.
“Please, let’s develop our uranium deposits together,” he told a nuclear forum in Moscow while speaking through a translator.
Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev described the proposals as “extremely interesting”.
Niger is one of the West African countries enjoying closer ties with Russia, including in the area of security.
According to the World Nuclear Association, Niger was the eighth largest producer of mined uranium in 2024.
Abarchi said the proposed nuclear plants would be developed under the supervision of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“Yes, we have big ambitions, but this is very important for us. This is very important for the entire African continent,” he said.
South Africa is the only country in Africa with an operational nuclear power plant, but reactors are under construction in Egypt.
Several other countries are proposing to build nuclear power stations, including Ghana, Algeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda and Sudan.
