The Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) has called for increased investment in Africa’s nuclear workforce to support the safe, secure and sustainable development of nuclear energy on the continent.
Prof. Abdulai Baba Salifu, Chairman of the Governing Board of GAEC, said the availability of skilled human capital would be a major determinant of Africa’s ability to successfully implement its nuclear energy ambitions.
He said African countries needed to place workforce development at the centre of their nuclear programmes alongside investments in technology, infrastructure and financing.
Prof. Salifu made the call at the third US-Africa Nuclear Energy Summit (USANES 2026) in Accra, held on the theme: “Building and Sustaining Africa’s Nuclear Workforce.”
“Behind every reactor is a scientist. Behind every safety decision is a trained professional. Behind every regulatory licence is a competent regulator,” he said.
Prof. Salifu said Africa’s nuclear ambitions could not be achieved through discussions on reactors, technology and financing alone.
He said the continent required a pipeline of scientists, engineers, technicians, operators, regulators and other professionals with specialised skills across the nuclear energy value chain.
He also called for stronger regional cooperation to enable African countries to share training infrastructure, research facilities, specialised expertise, simulation and laboratory capabilities.
Such collaboration, he said, would also strengthen regulatory experience and emergency preparedness while reducing duplication of resources across countries.
Prof. Salifu said Ghana was positioning itself as a regional centre for nuclear workforce development, citing the establishment of Africa’s first Regional Energy Training Centre in 2023 through a partnership between the US Department of Energy and GAEC.
He said Ghana was also making progress with its nuclear power programme and had established key institutions, including the Nuclear Regulatory Authority and Nuclear Power Ghana.
He said the institutions would play important roles in building the technical and regulatory capacity required to support the country’s nuclear energy development.
Dr Michael Goff, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at the US Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, said the United States was prepared to partner African countries pursuing nuclear power development.
He said the partnership would focus on sharing technology, expertise and institutional capacity to help countries build safe and sustainable nuclear energy programmes.
“The United States really wants to be your partner in that future,” he said.
Dr Goff said advances in reactor technology, streamlined licensing processes and stronger nuclear fuel supply chains were creating new opportunities for African countries to adopt nuclear energy without the lengthy timelines traditionally associated with nuclear projects.
He said the United States was also exploring the application of artificial intelligence to accelerate reactor design, licensing, manufacturing and construction, while improving the operation of nuclear facilities.
The three-day summit, which opened in Accra on Wednesday, August 19, and ends on Friday, August 21, brings together governments, industry, academia, regulators and development partners.
The participants are discussing workforce development, institutional capacity, financing and partnerships required to support the safe, secure and sustainable development of nuclear energy programmes across Africa.
