Why African States Are Lining Up for Small Nuclear Power Plants -By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

African nations are increasingly turning to nuclear energy as a driver of development, and Rosatom is actively inviting them to join its global technological chain. Speaking at the International Festival of Youth (IFY-2026), Andrey Timonov, Director of the Communications Department of State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, revealed that countries from the African continent are now adopting nuclear energy.

“We invite all countries, including those from the African continent, which are now lining up for small nuclear power plants, driven by the understanding that nuclear energy will not only cover their deficits but also give a powerful push to their development,” Andrey Timonov said.

His remarks came during the plenary session “Russia’s Image in International Media” on September 16 as part of the IFY-2026 ‘Media Stream’ program, where he also highlighted that Rosatom is building 28 out of 32 nuclear power units currently under construction worldwide under export projects—nearly 90% of which Timonov emphasized that Rosatom operates not solely by business logic but transmits a cultural code, taking countries by the hand and together stepping into a better future.

“Rosatom is the pride of our country, the leading company in the world in its nuclear field. And Rosatom lives not solely by business logic—we transmit our cultural code. We take countries by the hand and together step into a better future,” underlined Andrey Timonov.

The participants of the session discussed the situation in which Western countries are involved in cognitive warfare against Russia, and modern technologies are turning information into an ultrasonic weapon. Today, no event has a definitive interpretation: neutral networks are governed by rules established by others; deep fakes are indistinguishable from reality, and social media outpace fact-checking. The main question of the meeting was how to maintain critical thinking and a value-based world view in this environment, and avoid getting trapped in an information bubble.

Andrey Timonov acknowledged that Rosatom faces enormous criticism and is accused of every conceivable sin, noting that a massive propaganda apparatus works against the company. “But on one side of the scale are our humanitarian ideals, realized projects, and countries—even entire regions of the planet—where we talk to people about the future, about new technologies, about a fundamentally new quality of life. On the other side is, frankly, baseless noise. And in that sense, there is no need for special communication tools or counter campaigns. Actions speak for us. The fact that we build 28 out of 32 power units worldwide speaks for itself,” Timonov concluded.

Other participants of the session also included Ayanda Holo (South Africa), President of TV BRICS Africa, Maria Zakharova, official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; as well as prankster journalists Vovan and Lexus (Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov).

Ayanda Holo offered an African perspective on Russia’s historical and contemporary engagement with the continent. When asked by moderator Rick Sanchez, about how much confidence Ayanda Holo has in relations with Russia, and whether they will be fruitful and positive, Holo emphasized the importance of shared values and historical context: “In the Soviet era, Russia came to Africa when it was uncool. Russia came not to take something away from Africa, but to understand the power of humanity, the power of the collective, and the power of joint efforts for common prosperity. This is why we do not believe that Russia will change its value system overnight for a quick gain. Russia has also never enslaved us, killed us or taken away our land. So, I suppose, good ground has already been laid for developing relations. Yes, it is all about trust, and this foundation of trust has already been strengthened,” commented Ayanda Holo.

Maria Zakharova, official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, highlighted that the foreign journalists are barred from speaking with Russian officials, while Western reporters face pressure, fines, and career penalties for objective coverage. She stressed that Russia, unlike some Western countries, remains open to foreign correspondents. “And Russia’s best response to frame-ups, fakes and myths of this kind is to develop its own science, industry, technology, education, and humanitarian initiatives,” the diplomat concluded.

Prank journalists Vovan and Lexus (Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov) highlighted media literacy and critical thinking as key skills for young audiences in today’s information landscape. Moderator Rick Sanchez, an American journalist who moved to Moscow in 2025, summarizing the discussion, reaffirmed the core principles of journalism: “Professional journalism must remain based on facts and respect for the audience.”

The International Festival of Youth (IFY-2026) continues the legacy of the World Youth Festival series: the inaugural event took place in Sirius on March 1–7, 2024, gathering 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries. In 2025, the World Youth Festival Assembly in Nizhny Novgorod brought together 2,000 young people from 120 countries.

The IFY-2026 took place in Yekaterinburg from September 11 to 17 under the motto “Follow Your Dream.” The festival drew over 113,000 applications from around the world and welcomed 10,000 participants from 191 countries.

Africa’s presence at the festival was strong, with hundreds of delegates from across the continent. The selection campaign drew 3,300 applications from Africa, with youth from Ethiopia (475 applications), Nigeria (471), Tanzania (401), and South Africa (87) among the most active. A key highlight of IFY 2026 was the ‘Media Stream’ program—the festival’s central hub for content creators and media professionals. It served as a dynamic space for dialogue on the future of the media industry, bringing together leading bloggers, journalists, producers, scientists, and artists. The ‘Media Stream’ program was delivered with strategic support from Rosatom.

Rosatom is a multi-industry holding company which comprises assets in power engineering, machine building, and construction. Its strategy is to develop low-carbon generation, including wind power. Rosatom is the national leader in power generation (accounting for about 20% of the country’s total output) and ranks first globally in terms of the size of its portfolio of orders for the construction of nuclear power plants: 46 large- and small-capacity nuclear power units at different stages of implementation in 10 countries, including Russia, China, India, Bangladesh, Türkiye, Egypt, Hungary, Iran, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.