Review of the Nuclear Industry in Africa, Focusing on Nigeria and in Comparison With South Africa

Abstract

Economic development and improving the quality of life are made easier with access to reliable and affordable electricity. Africa, alas, is faced with severe challenges in satisfying the energy needs of its over 1.4 billion people. Despite the continent’s endowment with surplus energy resources like oil, coal, uranium, and gas, the power supply is far superseded by its demand. The continent’s industrial sector has been impinged by this energy deficit, with about 700,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity needed to maintain its activities as of November 2019. To attain sustainable development, Africa must develop eco-friendly energy systems to address this energy crisis, and nuclear power inclusion in Africa’s energy mix is a proposed alternative. Ghana, for instance, initially proposed 2029 as its target year to add nuclear power to its energy generation mix. This research project examines the history and current status of Africa’s nuclear sector, focusing on Nigeria while making comparisons with South Africa. The study uses the SWOT analysis principle to evaluate the internal strengths, weaknesses, external opportunities, and inherent threats connected to Nigeria’s nuclear power agenda. The research discovered that although Nigeria fulfils the basic requirements for including nuclear power in its energy mix, building a nuclear energy facility could be marred by significant gaps. Public perception and policy changes due to political transitions constitute the major setbacks to the timely execution and operation of Nigeria’s nuclear power facility. Financing is a critical impediment that needs to be addressed, and the research suggests a plethora of funding alternatives to expedite Nigeria’s development of a nuclear facility. Also, the South African nuclear industry’s status was reviewed. Overall, the study concludes that Nigeria possesses several strengths and opportunities for nuclear power generation that are economically feasible. On the contrary, to ensure energy security in South Africa, its nuclear power generation needs to be expanded for a diversified energy mix that fosters economic development.