Nigeria to end power blackout with nuclear power plants, signs agreement with Russia

shakirudeen taiwo

October 31, 2017 1:30 PM

This is one of the best news from the government of Nigeria.

Nigeria has finally taken a bold move to end the deficit in the power sector by building nuclear power plants in the northeast of the country.

The nuclear agreements deal was signed Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation, a state-owned Russian nuclear technology firm. The Russian firm is to build, finance and operate the nuclear power plant(s).

Energy problem has been identified as a major impediment to the industrial development of Nigeria. In 2009, Nigeria signed international agreements and cooperation on the peaceful usage of nuclear technologies after a high deposit of uranium was discovered in the northeast of the country.

At present, the optimum power-generating capacity of the country is around 4,500 megawatts of electricity. And half of this output is from the Egbin power plant.

Inadequate transmission infrastructure made power transmission to be below 2,500 megawatts. One figure that is grossly inadequate to meet the local industrial need of the country.

Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) had earlier disclosed in 2015 that it is in discussion with Rosatom to build four nuclear power plants in the country at a cost of $20 billion.

Details about the current deal are still little at the moment. However, the timeline of the projects as shown in the email sent out to local media showed feasibility study for the plant and construction of a nuclear research centre.

Upon completion, Nigeria would be the only nuclear country in Africa.

Rosatom is currently in similar negotiation with South Africa and other countries on the continent.

shakirudeen taiwo