The further into the NPP: Rosatom discusses construction of the plant with Niger
Rosatom is negotiating with Niger on the construction of a nuclear power plant, the state corporation told Izvestia. The company stressed that discussions are at an early stage. In parallel, she is also working with Ethiopia, where the parties have moved on to the formation of working mechanisms and detailed elaboration of project parameters. Experts are confident that the interest of African countries in nuclear generation has been increasing in recent years against the background of energy shortages and economic growth.
Negotiations between Rosatom and Niger
Against the background of the growing interest of African countries in nuclear generation, Rosatom is negotiating in several areas at once. In particular, Niger has expressed interest in building a nuclear power plant on its territory.
— The initiatives of this country indicate an interest in the development of peaceful nuclear energy. Rosatom is open to discussing possible forms of cooperation and is ready to offer modern, reliable and safe technologies. Discussions are at an early stage," the Rosatom press service told Izvestia.
At the moment, there are no operating nuclear power plants in Niger, and the country's electric power industry is experiencing a chronic shortage of capacity and network infrastructure. According to the World Bank, only about 20% of the population has access to electricity. A significant part of the generation is provided by thermal plants running on petroleum products, while a significant share of electricity comes from imports from Nigeria.
Niger's interest is a broader trend. The demand for nuclear energy in Africa has been growing over the past 10-15 years against the background of energy shortages and economic growth, Vsevolod Sviridov, Deputy director of the HSE Center for African Studies, told Izvestia.
— In many countries, it is considered that a nuclear power plant with a large installed capacity of several gigawatts and a high utilization rate of installed capacity, as well as low dependence on weather conditions, is a suitable option for power systems and overcoming energy shortages, — he explained.
Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev at the head of the Russian delegation during an official visit to the capital of the Republic of Niger
At the same time, Niger has been showing interest in building nuclear power plants since the summer. On July 28, 2025, Rosatom and the country's Ministry of Energy signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the peaceful uses of atomic energy and related high technologies.
On September 25, the Minister of Mining Industry of Niger, Ousmane Abarchi, announced at the International Atomic Forum in Moscow that Niamey was offering Rosatom participation in a project to build a nuclear power plant with a capacity of 2 thousand. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is ready to develop it jointly "under the supervision of the IAEA." On the same day, Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev called Niger's proposals "extremely interesting."
Russian nuclear power plant in Ethiopia
At the same time, the state corporation is promoting a nuclear project in East Africa — it is working with Ethiopia. The country is also interested in having a nuclear power plant on its territory. In September 2025, at the World Atomic Week (WAW), Rosatom and the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation signed an action plan for the development of the NPP project in Moscow. The document provides for the creation of a working group, the preparation of a roadmap and the elaboration of the stages necessary for the subsequent signing of an intergovernmental agreement.
— Today, the interaction of the parties is at the stage of forming working mechanisms and detailed elaboration of project parameters. All decisions are made in stages, taking into account the priorities of the host country and international safety standards," the state corporation told Izvestia.
Alexey Likhachev, CEO of Rosatom State Corporation, and Gedion Timotheos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, at the signing ceremony of the Action Plan between Rosatom and the Electric Power Corporation of Ethiopia on the development of the NPP project in Ethiopia, September 25, 2025
The electricity industry in Ethiopia is largely hydro-oriented: in 2022, almost 98% of production was from renewable energy sources (RES), of which about 86% was provided by hydroelectric power plants. At the same time, the problem of access to electricity remains: by the end of 2023, it was reported that approximately 55% of the population has a connection.
If negotiations with Niger and Ethiopia reach a practical stage, it will be a rare case for the continent. Currently, there are actually two nuclear power plants in Africa — the current Koberg in South Africa and the El-Dabaa under construction in Egypt, which is being built by Rosatom. At the same time, many projects with different countries are under discussion.
So, in 2024, Mali and Rosatom signed three cooperation agreements, including plans for a Russian low-power nuclear power plant, but the project parameters were not publicly disclosed. In October 2023, the Government of Burkina Faso signed a memorandum of understanding on the construction of a nuclear power plant with Rosatom.
However, there is no reason to expect a boom in the construction of nuclear power plants in Africa in the coming decades, Sviridov stressed.
— It is unlikely that power plants will appear before the middle of this century in any other countries except South Africa, Egypt and two or three economic leaders. In most countries of the region, there is too much shortage of infrastructure and personnel, and the nuclear industry is a separate, very investment and technologically intensive area," the expert draws attention.
In order to have nuclear power on our territory, we need to develop institutions, engineering and industrial base, infrastructure, and invest in the integrated development of the energy system.
Rosatom's strategy in Africa is designed for decades to come. In order to gain a foothold in the markets, the state corporation trains African students in its subordinate universities. And this is the right strategic approach that will allow Rosatom to become a contractor for the implementation of projects for a number of nuclear power plants by the middle of this century, the expert concluded.
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