Russia’s Rosatom to Help Provide Stable Power Supply in Nigeria

After reaching a nuclear deal with Nigeria, Russia is expected to build two nuclear power plants in the country. The Russian state-owned company, Rosatom is to build the power plants, one in the Southern area of Nigeria, and the other at the centre.

This news, which was reported by BBC Africa, indicates that sources from the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission anticipate that this development will bring an end to the country’s energy crisis, which negatively affects the economic growth of the most populous African nation.

Russia to build nuclear power plants in Nigeria https://t.co/GZKgx5rGDZ pic.twitter.com/PQh8RrbR75

— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) October 31, 2017

Rosatom is not only interested in Nigeria though, as talks are still ongoing in Ghana and South Africa. The deal with Nigeria is said to have taken a while to be reached, with the two countries, Russia and Nigeria, signing their first intergovernmental nuclear co-operation agreement way back in 2009.

The report also insinuates that corruption is alleged to have been responsible for the epileptic power supply to the over 180 million citizens of the country. It also revealed over 40% of the country is off the power grid, as at 2014.

@Plaid_Russia has signed an agreement to help us build and maintain a nuclear power plant. This might be the big break through we need

— Plaid Nigeria (@Plaid_Nigeria) October 31, 2017

This should be good news to both entrepreneurs and other citizens, and will definite cause a rise in innovative start-ups, if the plants help tackle Nigeria’s energy problem. Though the plants will initially be operated by Rosatom before handed over, strict measures might have to be put in place for maintenance of the plants.

But it should be noted that our inability to maintain infrastructure would be very costly in this case.

— Plaid Nigeria (@Plaid_Nigeria) October 31, 2017

Construction of the power plants is to begin in two years time, but considering how long the country has stayed in partial eclipse, two years is a short time to wait for what, hopefully, will be a new dawn.