Russia has agreed to collaborate with Ghana on the development of a 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has announced. The project was among six major commitments reached during President John Mahama’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow on Friday.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Mr Ablakwa said the proposed nuclear facility would enhance Ghana’s energy security and support its industrialisation agenda. However, he did not disclose the project’s estimated cost, proposed location or construction timeline. Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy company, Rosatom, on Friday confirmed that it was in discussions with four African countries, including Ghana, over major nuclear power projects, Reuters reported.
The announcement comes as Ghana continues efforts to incorporate nuclear energy into its national power generation mix. In November last year, Energy Minister John Jinapor inaugurated a new board for Nuclear Power Ghana, charging it with advancing the country’s nuclear energy programme.
In 2024, Nuclear Power Ghana also signed a framework agreement with a Chinese company for the construction of a nuclear reactor. Beyond energy cooperation, Ghana and Russia have agreed to establish a new defence partnership that will include the provision of military equipment to the Ghana Armed Forces.
Mr Ablakwa further disclosed that President Putin had assured Ghana that its citizens would not be recruited to participate in Russia’s war against Ukraine, either through irregular recruitment arrangements or voluntary enlistment.
Cooperation will also extend to agriculture, with Russia pledging support to improve grain production and facilitate fertiliser supplies to Ghana. The country will additionally increase scholarship opportunities for Ghanaian students, according to the statement. The two governments have also agreed to reactivate the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation, with Russia expected to host its next meeting in the coming weeks.
