He said the theme of this year’s Symposium – From Ambition to Action – captured “the global nuclear momentum and renewed recognition that nuclear energy has an important role to play in strengthening energy security, reducing emissions and supporting economic growth. But ambition alone is not enough. The world needs to build, finance, regulate and deliver.
“For Africa, this solution is very significant. The continent has enormous development ambitions, of industrialisation, improved healthcare systems, organised agriculture, digital infrastructure development and urbanisation. All of this requires reliable, affordable and increasingly clean energy. Evolving nuclear technologies – particularly small modular reactors and microreactors – increasingly prove to deliver tenable solutions in Africa’s context. However, Africa is not asking for a handout of nuclear technology. Africa is offering a partnership. Africa is offering a market. Africa is offering a mature vision for its own energy.”
Gnassingbe – who has led Togo since 2005, first as the fourth president until 2025 and then as president of the Council of Ministers – said that Togo has begun preparations for the introduction of nuclear technologies. “Togo sees nuclear science and technology as part of its broader development and energy security agenda. We do understand that responsible nuclear development begins long before the first reactor is built. Togo has been a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) since 2012 and we have progressively strengthened our national framework for the peaceful and safe use of nuclear technology. In January 2025, we established our Atomic Energy Commission. Just recently in Vienna, we signed a new cooperation framework with the IAEA.
At the same time, Togo is looking carefully at the technologies that may best suit its future needs. “With regard to global partnerships and financing mechanisms, the success of nuclear energy deployments will depend on capable institutions, a skilled workforce, predictable regulatory systems, public trust, strong industrial participation and financing. Financing remains one of the most important obstacles to nuclear deployment in Africa,” he said. “Nuclear projects require substantial long-term investment and financial structure capable of managing risks over decades. The international financial environment is changing and this creates an important opportunity. But we must now move from recognition to implementation.”
Gnassingbe announced that Togo will host the next Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa (NEISA) in Lomé, from 1-3 June 2027. NEISA is a high-level continental forum focused on accelerating the adoption of nuclear power, small modular reactors, and micro modular reactors to address energy security and industrialisation across Africa.
Commenting on the previous NEISA, which was held in Rwanda in July this year, he said: “That summit demonstrated that Africa’s nuclear organisation has reached a new level as discussions turned around a particular question. ‘How do we translate Africa’s nuclear ambition into investable and deliverable reality?'”
“We have an opportunity to ensure the next chapter of the global nuclear renaissance is also a chapter of African industrialisation, innovation and development,” Gnassingbe said.
He also announced that Togo has signed the declaration to at least triple global nuclear generating capacity by 2050, bringing the total number of countries to do so to 39.
South Africa is the only African country currently utilising nuclear energy, which accounts for about 5% of its electricity generation, with a total installed capacity of 1,854 GW. Egypt is currently in the process of building a 4.8 GW power plant to be completed in 2031. Algeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria also plan to launch nuclear energy programmes.
