Nuclear weapons Photo: Internet
Photo: Internet
Anti-nuclear energy advocates from Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Ghana, South Africa, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States have cautioned African governments against pursuing nuclear power projects.
The advocates described nuclear power plants as risky, expensive and unsuitable for addressing Africa’s energy and climate challenges.
They spoke on Friday at an expert presentation and workshop on proposed nuclear power plants held in Lagos with the theme: “From Oil Mishaps to Nuclear Misadventure.”
The workshop was organised by Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI) in collaboration with Tipping Point North South UK.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of RDI, Mr. Philip Jakpor, said many African countries were being drawn into “another form of colonialism” through nuclear energy agreements promoted by foreign powers and multinational corporations.
Jakpor said the workshop was organised to sensitise journalists and stakeholders to the environmental, economic and safety implications of nuclear energy projects.
According to him, although nuclear energy is often promoted as clean energy, concerns remain over radioactive waste disposal, nuclear accidents and long-term environmental contamination.
He cited the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters as examples of the dangers associated with nuclear power generation.
Jakpor said Nigeria still relied largely on fossil fuels and hydroelectric dams for electricity generation.
He said that although the country had an installed generation capacity of about 12,000 megawatts, actual electricity supply had remained between 3,500 and 4,000 megawatts for more than two decades.
He criticised moves to introduce nuclear power without broad public consultation and transparency.
Jakpor recalled that the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ROSATOM in 2016 for the construction of four nuclear power plants in Nigeria.
According to him, the proposed plants are estimated to cost about 80 billion dollars and are expected to generate a combined 4,800 megawatts by 2035.
“We do not know the current status of the plans,” he said.
Jakpor alleged that discussions surrounding the projects had remained largely secretive and excluded civil society groups.
Also speaking, Mr. Anthony Kingi of the Centre for Justice Governance and Environmental Action in Kenya said sustained community mobilisation and civil society engagement helped halt a proposed nuclear facility in the country.
Kingi said residents organised campaigns after learning of plans to establish a nuclear project in an area considered vulnerable to flooding and environmental degradation.
“We organised ourselves as a community to communicate and share information on the dangers and implications of the project,” he said.
According to him, solidarity among residents was essential because communities could easily be divided through financial inducements linked to large government-backed projects.
He said partnerships with civil society organisations strengthened the campaign through advocacy training and civic engagement.
Kingi added that media coverage helped expose concerns over transparency, police brutality and alleged intimidation of campaigners.
He said the campaign reportedly led to the abandonment of the proposed site in Oyombo village following sustained resistance and natural disasters in parts of the country.
He, however, expressed concern over reports that authorities might relocate the project to another area in western Kenya.
Also, Zambian environmental activist, Miss Chansa Kaluba, questioned Zambia’s nuclear energy ambitions, citing environmental contamination linked to decades of mining activities and unresolved public health concerns.
“One of the biggest questions we ask is whether we are ready to maintain the right to a safe, clean and healthy environment while pursuing nuclear power development,” she said.
She noted that although Zambia relied heavily on hydroelectric power, the country possessed significant untapped renewable energy potential, particularly in solar and wind energy.
According to her, Zambia adopted a National Nuclear Policy in 2020 and entered into nuclear cooperation agreements with countries including Russia, the United States and South Korea.
Kaluba, however, said civil society organisations, church groups and traditional leaders continued to question the country’s nuclear ambitions.
She disclosed that campaigners successfully resisted plans to establish a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology within a traditional community area.
“We were able to work with traditional leaders and church organisations to challenge the establishment of such facilities in our communities,” she said.
The advocates maintained that Africa’s future energy transition should focus on renewable energy rather than nuclear infrastructure projects.
They argued that nuclear energy belonged to the past, while renewable energy represented the continent’s sustainable future.
The advocates also alleged that nuclear projects often created opportunities for corruption, while foreign banks and multinational corporations remained the major beneficiaries.
They further expressed concerns over land displacement and exclusion of host communities from decision-making processes on proposed nuclear plant locations.
They argued that Africa was increasingly becoming a battleground for geopolitical competition among global powers seeking influence through nuclear technology exports.
They also linked civilian nuclear infrastructure to potential military nuclear ambitions, warning that civil nuclear programmes could create technical and financial pathways toward weapons development.(NAN)
