Russia to Build Nuclear Power Plant in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso announced on Friday that it has signed an agreement with Russia to build a nuclear power plant to address the energy needs of the population in a country where only a quarter of the population has access to electricity.

In a statement, the government said, "The government of Burkina Faso has signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia to build a nuclear power plant."

"the construction of a nuclear power plant in Burkina Faso aims to meet the energy needs of the population," It added.

This agreement was signed during the Russian Energy Week, held in Moscow, where Burkina Faso's Minister of Energy, Simon Pierre Bousie, participated.

Burkina Faso's government emphasized in the statement that the document "reflects the desire of President Ibrahim Traoré, which he expressed in July last year during the Russia-Africa Summit in a conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin."

At the end of 2020, only 22.5% of Burkina Faso's population had access to electricity, according to figures from the African Development Bank.