Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan arrived in Kigali Tuesday to attend the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa, a continental meeting focused on expanding the use of nuclear energy and promoting innovation in the sector across Africa.
Samia was received by Rwanda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Usta Kaitesi. The summit opened May 18 and is scheduled to run through May 21.
President Paul Kagame is expected to officially open the summit, which will also be attended by Togolese President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé.
The gathering has drawn ministers from several African countries, representatives of nuclear regulatory agencies, financial institutions, technology companies and industry leaders.
Speaking at the summit’s opening on Monday, Rwanda’s Minister of infrastructure, Dr. Jimmy Gasore, said the conference aims to move beyond discussions and turn long-standing ambitions into actionable projects.
“The projects we are discussing already have timelines and planned starting dates,” Gasore said. “What remains is mobilizing the financing needed to implement them.”
Gasore said Rwanda’s Vision 2050 development goals require increased electricity generation capacity and noted that many industrialized countries rely on nuclear power as part of their energy mix.
The summit, being hosted in Kigali for the second consecutive year, is expected to conclude with a framework for mobilizing resources to expand nuclear energy use across Africa.
Organizers also say the meeting will strengthen cooperation among African regional institutions, encourage investment-ready projects and help prepare policy and institutional frameworks ahead of the 2027 summit.
