President, Tanzania
Keynote | H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania
Powering Africa’s Future. Turning Nuclear Energy Ambition into Investable Reality.
As Africa accelerates towards a new phase of nuclear energy delivery, Heads of Government, Policy Makers, Financiers, Regulators and Nuclear Energy technology and service providers will convene to focus on shared direction, fit-for-purpose financing approaches, and structured deployment pathways, particularly for small modular reactors and micro modular reactors.
About Samia Suluhu
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been actively promoting Tanzania as an investment destination and outlining the country’s long-term development plans at several international forums. At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in June 2026, she discussed Tanzania’s ambitions to develop nuclear power, stating that the country is in discussions with Russia’s Rosatom and has developed a national roadmap for nuclear power development, including the use of small modular reactors. She also highlighted major infrastructure projects such as the Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone and new ports, and invited partners to invest in mining beneficiation, fertilizer production, and tourism. Hassan noted that Tanzania’s installed electricity generation capacity exceeds 4,500 megawatts, with demand projected to reach 8,000 megawatts by 2030 and 70,000 megawatts by 2050. In May 2026, Hassan spoke at the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa (NEISA) in Kigali, where she emphasized that Africa’s economic transformation depends on reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy systems. She stated that Tanzania is advancing nuclear energy as part of a strategy to diversify its energy mix and has formulated a national nuclear energy implementation organization to oversee the program. Hassan also addressed financing challenges, saying that Africa needs innovative financing mechanisms to make nuclear projects bankable. During a joint press briefing with Kenyan President William Ruto in Dar es Salaam in May 2026, Hassan publicly stated that she had confronted Ruto about his announcement of a joint oil refinery in Tanga, saying she had no knowledge of the project.
Transcript (9 segments)
✨ AI-enhanced transcript with speaker attribution
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Samia Suluhu0:00
Your Excellency, President Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, Excellencies, heads of state and government, honorable ministers, Your Excellency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, distinguished representatives of international organizations, ladies and gentlemen, at the outset, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to His Excellency, Paul Kagame, government and the people of Rwanda for the warm hospitality extended to me and my delegation since our arrival in the land of thousand hills. Thank you. Also, allow me to commend organizers of the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa, NEISA 2026, for convening this critical gathering under the theme, Powering Africa's Future, Turning Nuclear Energy Ambition into Investable Reality.
Africa's economic transformation depends fundamentally on reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy systems. Across our continent, growing industrialization, rapid urbanization, expanding digital infrastructure, and increasing demand for manufacturing and mining activities require stable base load power capable of supporting long-term development.
However, in considering future nuclear energy programs, several important issues must be addressed collectively. First is financing, which still remains a major challenge and thanks to Grossi who told us that financing is there. But then the architecture has to be suitable for African countries. Africa needs innovative financing mechanisms, blending financing models, and risk sharing arrangements capable of making new nuclear projects bankable and accessible. Second is regulatory preparedness and institutional capacity, which are very essential. Safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear technology requires a strong regulatory system, skilled human resources, effective safety oversight, and adherence to international standards. Tanzania appreciates the important role being played by the International Atomic Energy Agency and other international partners in supporting African countries in these areas. Third, public confidence and awareness is critical to allay fears of nuclear threats and leverage on its opportunities. African citizenry should be aware and fully understand both the opportunities and responsibilities associated with nuclear energy development. Transparency, safety, environmental protection, and responsible governance must remain at the heart of all nuclear programs.
Excellencies, Tanzania strongly believes that regional cooperation is essential for African successful nuclear energy future. Thanks to President Kagame for championing the coordination of the nuclear agenda in Africa. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Through these partnerships with international organizations and peers, Tanzania looks forward to learning from global experiences and strengthening cooperation in nuclear energy transition.
Now, allow me also to recall the successful African Energy Summit held in Dar es Salaam in January 2025, which brought together African leaders, development partners, financial institutions, and private sector stakeholders to advance the continent's energy agenda. The summit adopted the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration, which reaffirmed African collective commitment to accelerate access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy as a foundation for economic transformation and industrial development. The Dar es Salaam Declaration recognized further that no single energy solution can adequately address Africa's growing demand and therefore encouraged African countries to pursue balanced and resilient energy strategies tailored to national circumstances.
This discussion here in Kigali seamlessly complements the commitments made in Dar es Salaam by focusing on how emerging nuclear technologies can contribute to Africa's broader energy transition and long-term energy security. Nuclear energy should not be viewed as competing with renewable energy, but rather as complementing broader effort to build resilient and reliable energy systems capable of supporting industrial transformation across our continent. Needless to say, this platform provides an important opportunity for Africa to move from ambition to implementation. We must continue working together to create enabling environment that supports investment, strengthening institutions, and building the technical capacity necessary for long-term energy transformation.
Excellencies, talking again of my country, in Tanzania, electricity demand continues to grow in line with the national development priorities under the country's development vision 2050. Our installed electricity generation capacity to date exceeds 4,500 MW, while national demand is projected to reach 8,000 MW by 2030 and 70,000 MW by 2050. And it is in this context that Tanzania is advancing nuclear energy as part of our long-term strategy to diversify our energy mix and support sustainable economic growth. To guide this effort, we have developed an ambitious national roadmap for nuclear power development to support additional 1,000 and 1,200 MW of nuclear capacity within the next decade in alignment with International Atomic Energy Agency milestones approach. We also formulated the national nuclear energy implementation organization, or we call it NaPUI, to oversee the preparation and implementation of nuclear power program as required by IAEA.
And so, in furtherance of the energy generation systems, we are particularly interested in understanding the opportunities presented by emerging technologies such as small modular reactors and micro modular reactors, which are increasingly being considered globally as scalable, flexible, and potentially suitable solutions for developing countries.
In conclusion, I wish to reaffirm Tanzania's commitment in working closely with African partners, international institutions, development finance organizations, and the private sector to explore peaceful and sustainable nuclear energy opportunities that contribute meaningfully to Africa's prosperity and energy security. Thank you very much. Asante sana.