Anti-nuclear energy advocates from Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Ghana, South Africa, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States have warned African governments against pursuing nuclear power projects.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Advocates describes nuclear power plants as risky, expensive and unsuitable for addressing the continent’s energy and climate challenges.
They gave the advise on Friday during an expert presentation and workshop on new nuclear power plants held in Lagos with the theme: “From Oil Mishaps to Nuclear Misadventure.”
The workshop was organised by the 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 what he described as “another form of colonialism” through nuclear energy agreements promoted by foreign powers and multinational corporations.
Jakpor commended local and international partners, including anti-nuclear advocate, Deborah Burton of Tipping Point North South UK for supporting the workshop.
He said the workshop is aimed at sensitising journalists and stakeholders to the environmental, economic and safety implications of nuclear energy projects.
According to him, while nuclear energy is often promoted as clean energy, unresolved concerns remain over radioactive waste disposal, nuclear accidents and long-term environmental contamination.
He cited the Chernobyl disaster and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster 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 added that despite an installed generation capacity of about 12,000 megawatts, actual power supply had remained between 3,500 and 4,000 megawatts for more than two decades.
He criticised plans to introduce nuclear power without what he described as broad public consultation and transparency.
The RDI executive director recalled that the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2016 with ROSATOM for the construction of four nuclear power plants in Nigeria.
According to him, the proposed facilities are estimated to cost about 80 billion dollars with a projected combined generation capacity of 4,800 megawatts by 2035.
“We do not know the current status of the plans,” he said.
He alleged that discussions surrounding the projects had remained largely secretive and excluded civil society groups.
Meanwhile, representatives from Kenya and Zambia shared experiences of grassroots resistance to proposed nuclear infrastructure projects.
Mr Anthony Kingi of the Centre for Justice Governance and Environmental Action narrated how sustained community mobilisation, media engagement and civil society partnerships helped halt a proposed nuclear facility in Kenya.
Kingi said residents organised themselves 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 associated with large government-backed projects.
He explained that neighbouring villages were incorporated into the campaign through community forums and information-sharing networks after residents alleged that nuclear agencies withheld critical details about the project.
Kingi said partnerships with civil society organisations, particularly the Centre for Community Advocacy, strengthened the campaign through training on constitutional rights, advocacy and civic engagement.
He added that media coverage helped expose issues surrounding transparency, police brutality and alleged intimidation faced by campaigners.
He said the campaign reportedly led to the abandonment of the original proposed site in Oyombo village following sustained resistance and natural disasters that affected parts of the country.
However, Kingi expressed concern over reports that authorities might relocate the project to another area in western Kenya.
Similarly, Zambian environmental activist,Miss Chansa Kaluba, questioned Zambia’s push toward nuclear energy, citing environmental contamination linked to decades of mining activities and unresolved public health concerns.
Kaluba said many communities in mining regions were still grappling with pollution and lead poisoning from historical mining operations.
“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,” the activist 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 estimated at more than 2,300 megawatts.
Kaluba said Zambia adopted a National Nuclear Policy in 2020 and had entered into nuclear cooperation agreements with countries including Russia, the United States and South Korea.
According to her, preparations had included participation in International Atomic Energy Agency programmes, policy development and training for selected personnel.
Despite these developments, Kaluba 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,” Kaluba said.
NAN reports that the advocates maintained that Africa’s future energy transition should focus on renewable energy expansion rather than costly nuclear infrastructure projects,
They argued that nuclear energy belonged to the past while renewable energy represented the continent’s sustainable future.
Other speakers at the workshop argued that nuclear power plants were extremely capital intensive and would worsen Africa’s already inadequate climate finance situation.
According to the campaigners, nearly three-quarters of Africa’s climate finance needs remain unmet, while more than half of available climate funding comes through debt instruments.
They warned that prioritising nuclear projects would divert resources away from renewable energy development, climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.
The advocates also alleged that nuclear projects often created opportunities for corruption, while foreign banks and multinational corporations remained the major beneficiaries of such investments.
They further expressed concerns over land displacement, claiming that host communities were frequently excluded from decision-making processes regarding proposed nuclear plant locations.
The campaigners 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.
