Africa needs nuclear energy to accelerate growth

The world has in recent months witnessed a dramatic turnabout on the future of nuclear energy, mainly in the developed countries. This is on the back of the Russia-Ukraine war which has seen post-pandemic energy shortages turn into a full-blown energy crisis. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), nuclear power plants slated for closure across Europe have been given “an 11th hour reprieve. Japan has announced, after a decade of paralysis, that it plans to restart many of its reactors, which have sat idle since the nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi. France, which had launched plans to reduce its dependence on nuclear energy during President Macron’s first term, reversed course and now, plans to build at least six new reactors and a dozen smaller modular reactors. The UK on the other hand recently launched an ambitious plan to build eight new reactors and16 small modular reactors. Even anti-nuclear Germany has conceded to geopolitical energy realities and extended the life of the nation’s last three operating nuclear power plants. “The turn back to nuclear energy has been a ray of hope in an otherwise dark geopolitical landscape. Despite significant progress on the cost and feasibility of renewable energy, the energy