)
)
)
World Nuclear Association Director General Returns to AEW Amidst African Market Expansion
Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of the World Nuclear Association will participate at African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies 2025 as a speaker. León will join a panel discussion titled Nuclear Energy in Africa: Financing, Economics and Sustainable Deployment, where she is expected to share best practices and financing models to accelerate nuclear deployment across Africa.
León’s participation underscores the World Nuclear Association’s support for AEW: Invest in African Energies’ mandate to end energy poverty history across the continent by 2030. With 600 million Africans lacking access to electricity and 900 million without access to clean cooking, the continent’s untapped uranium resources and nuclear potential present a cost-effective pathway to energy security. Globally, the nuclear industry aims to triple capacity by 2050 to meet rising demand and Africa’s growing role will be central to this target.
In August 2025, South Africa granted state utility Eskom an environmental permit to build the 4,000 MW Duynefontein Power Station, the country’s second nuclear facility. Egypt, in partnership with Russian state nuclear company Rosatom, is advancing construction of the 4.8 GW El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant, targeting completion by 2028 and aiming for 9% of national power generation from nuclear. The World Bank’s June 2025 lifting of a ban on nuclear financing in developing countries presents an opportunity for Africa to maximize market expansion efforts as Nigeria, Mali, Ghana, Uganda, Morocco, Namibia and Rwanda ramp up deployment plans. Mali seeks to build a nuclear power facility for energy security, signing a nuclear cooperation agreement with Russia. Meanwhile, Kenya plans to begin building its first nuclear plant by 2027 and Ghana targets its first nuclear electricity in the 2030s.
Amidst these positive market developments, the World Nuclear Association - under León’s leadership - is positioning itself as a key partner for African nations. Through market publications, working groups, market analysis and cooperation with African institutions, the World Nuclear Association connects African stakeholders with global industry leaders to exchange knowledge, align strategies and advance collective industry goals.
“Nuclear presents an opportunity for clean, affordable and resilient energy for the 600 million people in Africa currently living in energy poverty. By diversifying with nuclear alongside natural gas, oil, coal and renewables, Africa can industrialize. The World Nuclear Association is playing a crucial role in ensuring Africa realizes its nuclear and economic growth potential,” stated NJ Ayuk, the Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.
AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.aecweek.com for more information about this exciting event.