Nuclear Power Ghana public affairs director brings years of local and international experience to IAEA stakeholder engagement programme in Rwanda
Ghana’s experience in communicating nuclear energy issues is receiving another regional platform, with Madam Bellona Gerard Vittor-Quao, Director of Public Affairs at Nuclear Power Ghana (NPG), serving as an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) communications expert at a regional training in Rwanda.
The five-day training, running from September 21 to 25, 2026, brings together experts and participants from across Africa to examine practical approaches to stakeholder engagement in the development of nuclear power programmes.
For Madam Vittor-Quao, the Rwanda assignment builds on years of work in nuclear communications and stakeholder engagement, both in Ghana and internationally.
She has previously facilitated nuclear-related training programmes outside Ghana, including in Kenya, Ethiopia and Vienna, giving her experience working with professionals and stakeholders from different national and institutional settings.
Her participation in Rwanda therefore extends an established role in strengthening communication around nuclear energy, rather than representing a first foray into international nuclear capacity-building.
Taking Ghanaian experience to the region
As an IAEA communications expert, Madam Vittor-Quao is contributing practical perspectives on how countries can engage stakeholders and the public as they develop and advance nuclear power programmes.
The training, titled “Stakeholder Engagement in Nuclear Power Programmes,” focuses on public participation, communication and trust-building at different stages of the nuclear power development process.
These areas have become increasingly important as more African countries examine nuclear power as part of their long-term energy strategies.
While nuclear programmes involve substantial technical, regulatory and financial considerations, their development also requires sustained engagement with the public, communities, policymakers, the media and other stakeholders.
Madam Vittor-Quao’s role is centred on helping participants understand how effective communication can support that engagement and create space for informed public participation.
A track record that extends beyond Ghana
Her regional and international facilitation work forms part of a broader professional record in nuclear energy communication.
In Ghana, she has been at the forefront of efforts to improve media understanding of nuclear energy, including training and engaging journalists on nuclear power issues.
That work has been important in helping the media navigate a technically complex subject and communicate nuclear energy developments to the public in ways that are accessible and informed.
Her experience has also taken her beyond Ghana, where she has facilitated training and contributed to discussions on nuclear communication and stakeholder engagement in countries including Kenya and Ethiopia, as well as Vienna.
The combination of local media engagement and international training experience gives her a perspective that bridges technical nuclear discussions with the communication needs of the wider public.
Building public understanding
The Rwanda training comes at a time when African countries are considering different options for meeting rising electricity demand, strengthening energy security and supporting long-term development.
For countries pursuing nuclear power, public confidence and understanding are important parts of the development process.
The IAEA programme is therefore focusing not only on what countries need to do technically, but also on how they communicate with the people and institutions that have an interest in, or may be affected by, nuclear power programmes.
Participants from across Africa are sharing experiences and approaches aimed at improving stakeholder engagement and public participation.
Madam Vittor-Quao’s contribution brings Ghana’s experience into that regional exchange while reinforcing the role of communication professionals in the continent’s emerging nuclear energy conversation.
Her participation in Rwanda also reflects the growing demand for expertise that can connect nuclear policy and technical issues with effective public communication, an area in which Ghana has been building experience as it advances its own nuclear power programme.
The regional IAEA training continues until September 25, with participants expected to leave with practical approaches for engaging stakeholders and building public understanding throughout the different stages of nuclear power programme development.
