With Africa’s energy demand projected to double by 2040, more countries on the continent are turning to nuclear power — whether they are ready for it or not. South Africa already runs one reactor. Egypt’s first is under construction. Other governments are signing nuclear cooperation agreements with Russia, China, and the United States. The World Bank’s removal of its nuclear ban in June will only accelerate this trend.
Yet, Africa’s nuclear reality remains mostly aspirational. As Sidi Ould Tah takes over as the new president of the African Development Bank, he could change that by transforming the AfDB into a source of sober guidance and catalytic support, not hype. But first, the bank must lift its own decades-old ban on nuclear funding and carve out a niche where it can add real value.
Nuclear energy’s appeal is clear for Africa: a firm source of clean, reliable baseload power that can drive industrialization and grid stability. Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda are already investing in nuclear research and planning. But many others are chasing unrealistic nuclear visions. Here the AfDB could play the role of truth-teller, helping its members distinguish between credible, fit-for-purpose nuclear ambitions and fantasy.
The AfDB’s longheld rationale for avoiding financing nuclear energy — the technology’s high costs — is increasingly outdated. Next-generation reactor designs and small modular reactors promise lower upfront costs, shorter construction times, and safer operations. Their smaller scale makes them ideal for countries in Africa with smaller grids. And once operational, nuclear plants provide stable power prices for decades, something few other technologies can match.
But the AfDB shouldn’t jump headlong into supporting nuclear power wherever it’s wanted. Instead, the AfDB should first build internal technical expertise and set clear criteria for nuclear readiness before any financing begins. This means helping governments that are truly ready select the most suitable models for their long-term energy security.
To become a real catalyst for smart nuclear growth in Africa, the AfDB needs to ditch its outdated ban on nuclear projects and openly recognize atomic energy as part of the continent’s clean power future. It should set clear readiness benchmarks and use its convening power to inject realism — and a dose of peer learning — among member states. Beyond that, the bank can offer technical help to countries that are genuinely ready to move forward, while pushing for transparency in nuclear financing and procurement so major decisions aren’t made behind closed doors in Moscow or Beijing.
If the AfDB continues to ignore nuclear technology, others will fill the void — while African countries will have fewer options, and less leverage. The AfDB isn’t in a position now to finance nuclear energy itself, but it can help its members prepare wisely and set the benchmarks for readiness and transparency. That groundwork could determine whether Africa’s nuclear future becomes a driver of growth, or another missed opportunity.
W. Gyude Moore is a former minister of public works for Liberia. He is a distinguished fellow at the Energy for Growth Hub.
Marli Kasdan is a nuclear policy advisor at the Energy for Growth Hub and previously worked in the Biden Administration as a senior advisor in the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.