President Paul Kagame on Tuesday, May 19, received his Togolese counterpart Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, who is in Kigali for the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa (NEISA 2026). The second edition of NEISA 2026 has brought together African leaders, global nuclear energy experts, financiers, and policymakers to discuss the continent’s energy future. The four-day summit, running until May 21, is being held under the theme: “Powering Africa’s Future: Turning Nuclear Energy Ambition into Investable Reality.” ALSO READ : African leaders push for nuclear energy to spur industrial growth Opening the summit on Tuesday, President Kagame said Africa’s ability to address its energy challenges will determine how quickly its economies can grow and compete globally. He further noted that Rwanda has made progress in developing nuclear energy capacity, including completing Phase One of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR). ALSO READ: Nuclear energy: Why Rwanda is opting for small modular reactors On his part, President Gnassingbé said nearly half of Africans still lack access to reliable electricity, warning that rapid population growth, urbanisation, and digital transformation will continue to increase pressure on energy supply across the continent. He noted that renewable energy alone may not be sufficient to meet future demand, particularly for energy-intensive sectors such as artificial intelligence, data centres, and manufacturing, which require stable baseload power. Gnassingbé described small modular reactors and micro-reactors as viable solutions, adding that global financial institutions are increasingly recognising nuclear energy as part of the clean energy transition. Togo will host the next edition of the summit.
