Burkina Faso’s leaders have made a deal with Russia to create a nuclear power plant.
This plant will give Burkina Faso more electricity.
Burkina Faso’s leaders chose to work with Russia because they had problems with their Western friends.
They needed Russia’s help after taking control of their country.
Not many people in Burkina Faso have access to electricity.
Only 21% of the population can use it.
The leader of Burkina Faso, Capt Ibrahim Traore, talked to Russia’s President Putin in July during a meeting in Moscow.
He asked for help to build a nuclear power plant in Burkina Faso.
This plant would create electricity, not only for Burkina Faso but also for the nearby countries.
Capt Traore said, “We have a critical need for energy, this is an important point for me because we need, if possible, to build a nuclear power station in Burkina Faso to produce electricity.”
“Our position is rather strategic because we are in the heart of West Africa and have an energy deficit in the sub-region.”
This agreement is part of Burkina Faso’s plan to provide electricity to more people.
They want 95% of city people to have electricity by 2030.
In rural areas, they aim for 50% access.
Most of Burkina Faso’s electricity comes from things like charcoal and wood.
Oil products make up one-third of their energy supply.
This can be expensive, and the United States agency USAID says that Burkina Faso has some of the highest electricity costs in Africa.
Right now, only South Africa produces nuclear power in Africa for commercial use.
But more countries in Africa are starting to work on this.
Russia is helping Egypt to build a nuclear power plant, which will cost $30 billion, after a deal between Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Russia’s President Putin in 2017.
Russia also signed an agreement to make power plants in Nigeria in the same year, but the project hasn’t started yet.
Kenya plans to build its first nuclear power plant by 2027, but they haven’t chosen their international partner yet.
In September this year, Rwanda decided to work with a Canadian-German company called Dual Fluid Energy to make a nuclear reactor by 2028.
The Rwandan government said this reactor would help them meet their energy needs and deal with climate change.
Even though more people in sub-Saharan Africa have electricity now, there are still many who don’t.
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad), over 50% of the people in the region don’t have electricity.
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