{"id":2000112523,"date":"2026-05-19T15:40:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T13:40:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/?p=2000112523"},"modified":"2026-05-19T17:10:59","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T15:10:59","slug":"rwanda-on-track-for-early-2030s-nuclear-power-launch-kagame-confirms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/rwanda-on-track-for-early-2030s-nuclear-power-launch-kagame-confirms\/","title":{"rendered":"Rwanda on track for early 2030s nuclear power launch, Kagame confirms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Speaking at the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa 2026 at the Kigali Convention Centre on Tuesday, Kagame said Rwanda\u2019s successful completion of the International Atomic Energy Agency\u2019s (IAEA) Phase I Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review marked a key milestone in its nuclear energy roadmap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Kagame received the report from Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), following an assessment process with experts that advances Rwanda\u2019s nuclear ambitions to the next stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rwanda aims to generate up to 1.5 gigawatts of electricity from nuclear power by 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe intend to have nuclear energy operational by the early 2030s. This assessment confirms that we are on track,\u201d Kagame said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The summit, held under the theme \u201cPowering Africa\u2019s Future: Turning Nuclear Energy Ambition into Investable Reality,\u201d brought together heads of state, international organisations, investors and technical experts to discuss how Africa can scale up reliable energy systems to support long-term economic transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kagame said Africa\u2019s development prospects depend heavily on solving persistent energy shortages, noting that modern manufacturing, mineral processing, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and advanced healthcare all require stable and reliable electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor Africa, energy is not simply a development issue. It is the foundation of industrial growth and competitiveness,\u201d he said. \u201cCountries that cannot meet this demand will struggle to compete.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He emphasised that Rwanda views nuclear energy as a critical component of its long-term energy strategy, with particular focus on small modular reactors (SMRs), which he described as more suitable for African contexts due to their scalability, lower cost and adaptability to smaller power grids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While reaffirming the importance of renewable energy sources such as solar and hydropower, Kagame cautioned that intermittent supply alone would not be sufficient to meet Africa\u2019s rapidly growing energy needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRenewable energy will remain indispensable, particularly solar and hydro, where Africa has enormous potential. But our economies cannot function efficiently on intermittent supply alone,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The President also stressed the importance of investment and regulatory certainty in attracting long-term capital into nuclear projects, urging African countries to strengthen governance frameworks and avoid fragmented approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat Africa cannot afford is fragmentation,\u201d he said. \u201cIf countries work in isolation, progress will be slow and far more costly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that cooperation, regulatory harmonisation, financing mechanisms and regional power integration would be essential to ensure successful deployment across the continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faure Gnassingb\u00e9, President of the Council of Ministers of Togo, called for Africa to move beyond discussion and take concrete steps toward implementation, describing the summit as a defining moment for the continent\u2019s energy future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are moments in the life of a continent when it is no longer enough to merely observe reality; we must shape the future,\u201d Gnassingb\u00e9 said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He argued that while renewable energy remains important, it cannot alone support Africa\u2019s industrialisation, digital expansion and growing demand for baseload power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cManufacturing industries, data centres, artificial intelligence, and Africa\u2019s digital future require continuous, decarbonised, and competitive baseload electricity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gnassingb\u00e9 highlighted Togo\u2019s own progress, including the adoption of nuclear energy legislation, the establishment of an atomic energy commission and ongoing exploration of small modular reactors for off-grid regions. He also stressed the importance of African-led development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfrican nuclear energy will not be imported. It will be designed, operated, and governed by Africans, for Africans,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan also emphasised regional cooperation, saying nuclear energy should complement rather than replace renewable sources in Africa\u2019s energy mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She noted that Tanzania plans to develop 1,200 megawatts of nuclear capacity within the next decade and has already established a national implementation body aligned with International Atomic Energy Agency standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNuclear energy should not be viewed as competing with renewable energy, but rather as a complementary part of a broader effort to build resilient, sustainable and reliable energy systems,\u201d Hassan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said Africa\u2019s energy challenges are central to global development priorities, noting that nearly half a billion people on the continent still lack access to electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said recent international agreements with development banks, including the World Bank and regional institutions, are helping remove long-standing financing barriers to nuclear energy projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor many years, finance was the red line separating Africa from the benefits of nuclear energy. But this has changed,\u201d Grossi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He praised Rwanda\u2019s regulatory progress, including institutions such as the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board and the Rwanda Nuclear Authority, calling them essential for ensuring safety and investor confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Lassina Zerbo, Chairman of the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board (RAEB), said the summit reflects a shift from ambition to implementation, urging Africa to focus on building investable and bankable nuclear projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfrica should not simply aspire to have a seat at the table. Africa must help shape the table itself,\u201d Zerbo said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He highlighted the potential of small and micro modular reactors as transformative technologies for Africa\u2019s future energy systems and announced the creation of a Global Coalition for Nuclear Philanthropy aimed at mobilising financing for nuclear development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the summit continues over the next two days, Kagame said Rwanda will continue to support continental efforts, emphasising that Africa\u2019s rapidly growing population could become a major economic advantage if matched with sufficient energy infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBy 2050, Africa will have the largest workforce in the world,\u201d he said. \u201cThe demographic shift can become one of the greatest economic advantages of this century if we prepare for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Speaking at the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa 2026 at the Kigali Convention Centre on Tuesday, Kagame said Rwanda\u2019s successful completion of the International Atomic Energy Agency\u2019s (IAEA) Phase I Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review marked a key milestone in its nuclear energy roadmap.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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President Kagame stressed the importance of investment and regulatory certainty in attracting long-term capital into nuclear projects, urging African countries to strengthen governance frameworks and avoid fragmented approaches.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Faure Gnassingb\u00e9, President of the Council of Ministers of Togo, called for Africa to move beyond discussion and take concrete steps toward implementation, describing the summit as a defining moment for the continent\u2019s energy future.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan also emphasised regional cooperation, saying nuclear energy should complement rather than replace renewable sources in Africa\u2019s energy mix.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Rwanda is hosting the second edition of the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit on Africa (NEISA 2026) at the Kigali Convention Centre. The high-level gathering brings together continental heads of state, including Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Togolese President Faure Gnassingb\u00e9, alongside global industry leaders like Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

President Paul Kagame has confirmed that Rwanda remains on track to launch nuclear energy operations by the early 2030s, as African leaders, regulators and development partners gathered in Kigali to advance continental cooperation on nuclear power development.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000112526,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[151,69],"byline":[192],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000112523","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-technology","tag-editors-choice","tag-homehighlights","byline-wycliffe-nyamasege"],"bylines":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"contributors":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"featured_image":{"id":2000112526,"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/054a9399.jpg.jpg-f518e.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":1000,"height":667,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/054a9399.jpg.jpg-f518e.jpg","width":150,"height":100},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/054a9399.jpg.jpg-f518e.jpg","width":300,"height":200},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/054a9399.jpg.jpg-f518e.jpg","width":768,"height":512},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/054a9399.jpg.jpg-f518e.jpg","width":1000,"height":667},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/054a9399.jpg.jpg-f518e.jpg","width":1000,"height":667}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000112523","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000112523"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000112523\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000112539,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000112523\/revisions\/2000112539"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000112526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000112523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000112523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000112523"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000112523"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000112523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}