Niger’s Mining Minister Ousmane Abarchi announced on Thursday that the country plans to build two 2,000-megawatt nuclear reactors in partnership with Russia’s state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom.
Abarchi made the announcement at a nuclear forum in Moscow, expressing Niger’s interest in collaborating with Russia to develop its uranium reserves.
“Please, let’s develop our uranium deposits together,” he said, speaking through a translator. Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev described the proposal as “extremely interesting”.
Niger, which was the eighth-largest producer of mined uranium in 2024, aims to develop the nuclear plants under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Abarchi emphasized the importance of this project for Niger and the entire African continent, saying, “Yes, we have big ambitions, but this is very important for us. This is very important for the entire African continent”.
This partnership is part of Russia’s growing influence in Africa, particularly in the energy sector.
Currently, South Africa is the only country in Africa with an operational nuclear power plant, although Egypt has reactors under construction. Other African countries, including Ghana, Algeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Sudan, have also proposed building nuclear power stations.
