Nuclear regulator rallies Africa’s youth to back safety agenda

The Africa Youth Nuclear Summit at the KICC, Nairobi, further called on relevant stakeholders to ensure adequate resources and political goodwill as the continent expands its nuclear agenda. 

The Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority (KNRA), the country’s nuclear watchdog, said time had come for young African professionals to join the push for Africa’s transformation through nuclear in health, security, research, energy and agriculture.

KNRA Director General James Keter, while delivering a keynote address on Monday at the summit, said: “Teamwork among stakeholders is paramount at this juncture. There’s work to be done…we need all our hands on the deck. Whatever we do must be underlined by human and environmental protection.” 

The event was also addressed by Mr Enobot Agborau, the Executive Secretary of the African Commission on Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA) Acting CEO Justus Wabuyabo, researchers and ministry officials.

The KNRA Director General added: “As regulator, we see nuclear technologies as an opportunity for an emergent Africa, now that we’re eyeing industrialization, a strong economy, job opportunities, better health systems and stable energy supplies. We must now arise and change the narrative of nuclear from that of war and annihilation to progress and peaceful utilization.” 

He said by convening the summit, the Africa Young Generation in Nuclear and the Kenya Young Generation in Nuclear had reminded the continent of the need to involve the youth in paving Africa’s path to a prosperous nuclear-empowered future. 

The summit, attended by representatives from across the continent, challenged nuclear regulators and implementing agencies to engage in public awareness, saying commercial nuclear power is still viewed by the public as a dangerous to humans and the environment. 

Wabuyabo said Kenya hopes to have its first nuclear power plant up and running by the year 2035. The forum heard that a third of the almost 30 countries considering nuclear power are in the African continent. 

Mr Agborau urged African youth proactive take part in policy decisions in their countries that will lead to conversations around nuclear technology as a means of addressing some of the continent’s age-old challenges such as energy deficits.  

“The youth should build on the foundations built today and the legacy of the past. Nuclear will no doubt help expedite the search for solutions to many teething problems,” he said, adding that under the Africa Union Agenda 2063 plan for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse of the future, nuclear will be a key player.