Burkina Faso has signed a landmark agreement with Russia to develop its first civil nuclear power plant, marking a bold step in the West African nation’s bid to address chronic electricity shortages and accelerate industrialization.The deal was formalized on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum by Burkina Faso’s Minister of Energy, Yacouba Zabré Gouba, and the Director General of Russia’s state nuclear agency ROSATOM, Aleksey Likhachev.
According to Minister Gouba, the agreement initiates an administrative process that will include the submission of a comprehensive technical and financial proposal by ROSATOM. Once reviewed and approved by Burkina Faso’s authorities, formal negotiations on the construction timeline, funding model, and project delivery will begin. “This marks a turning point in our energy policy,” Gouba said. “Nuclear energy will not only help us reduce our dependence on costly and unreliable fossil fuel imports, but it will also catalyze industrial development and job creation.”
Burkina Faso currently faces one of the lowest electricity access rates in West Africa, with less than 25% of the population connected to the national grid—most of whom are in urban areas. Frequent power outages and limited energy infrastructure have long hampered economic growth, especially in rural regions and energy-intensive sectors like mining and manufacturing. The deal builds on President Ibrahim Traoré’s 2023 pledge to explore nuclear energy options with Russian technical assistance. Traoré, who came to power in a military-led transition, has increasingly turned to non-Western partners like Russia for strategic development support, including energy, defense, and agriculture.
The agreement follows similar cooperation frameworks Russia has signed with other African nations, such as Egypt and Sudan, as part of Moscow’s growing economic and geopolitical footprint on the continent. While the project remains in its early stages, energy experts say that if successfully implemented, it could be transformative for Burkina Faso’s energy sector. However, they also caution that nuclear power comes with complex financial, regulatory, and safety demands that require robust institutional capacity and international oversight. Further announcements on the project’s scope, location, and implementation schedule are expected later this year.
