Russia agrees to back 2,000 MW nuclear plant in Ghana
Russia has agreed to work with Ghana on developing a 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant, Ghana’s Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said on Saturday, 31 October. The announcement followed talks at the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow.
The pledge was one of six commitments Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama secured from Russia’s President Vladimir Putin during talks on the sidelines of the summit, according to Ablakwa’s statement. Russia agreed to help Ghana build the plant to strengthen the country’s energy security and support industrialisation. The other commitments covered defence, agriculture, education and security, including a new defence cooperation arrangement to help Ghana buy strategic military equipment, closer work on grain production and fertiliser, and more scholarships for Ghanaian students in Russia.
Ablakwa also said Putin had barred Ghanaians from taking part in Russia’s war in Ukraine, whether through irregular recruitment or voluntary enlistment, after Mahama raised the issue directly. The announcement came a day after Russia’s state nuclear company, Rosatom, said it was in talks with four African countries, including Ghana, on large nuclear power projects. No timeline for building the plant, and no details of how it would be paid for, were given. Ghana had already begun exploring a first nuclear plant with Rosatom, reviving an ambition first pursued under Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, more than half a century ago.
Why it matters
Ghana has no nuclear power plant, so a 2,000-megawatt plant would be a major new source of electricity if it is ever built. The deal also shows how Russia is deepening its ties in Africa through energy and defence, at a time when several African countries are looking for new partners to fund big power projects.
What happens next
Ghana and Russia agreed to revive their Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation, with Russia expected to host its next meeting in the coming weeks. The key questions now are when construction could start, who will pay for it, and what contract Ghana signs with Rosatom.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- Reuters, “Ghana says Russia to back 2,000 MW nuclear plant, deepen ties”, 31 October 2026 – https://kwsn.com/2026/10/31/ghana-says-russia-to-back-2000-mw-nuclear-plant-deepen-ties/
- Chale News, “Mahama Secures Russian Backing for 2,000MW Nuclear Plant, Five Other Deals”, 31 October 2026 – https://chale.news/mahama-secures-russian-backing-for-2-000mw-nuclear-plant-five-other-deals/
