Rwanda plans to build a specialised workforce of more than 230 nuclear professionals by 2028 as it prepares for the development, operation and regulation of its nuclear power facilities. The target is part of a broader effort to build local expertise around nuclear energy, with the country currently having between 30 and 50 nuclear experts working in relevant institutions. The newly published Nuclear Industrial Localization Roadmap identifies human capital as a critical part of Rwanda’s nuclear ambitions, noting that the country will need specialists across regulation, engineering, plant operations, research and industry. ALSO READ: Four ways Rwanda could finance its nuclear energy programme Rwanda plans the deployment of its first small modular reactor (SMR) in the early 2030s. The country's nuclear workforce is still at an early stage. There is need of expertise in nuclear regulation and licensing, nuclear safety and security, reactor operations, maintenance engineering, instrumentation and control, safety engineering, as well as modelling and simulation. Other areas requiring advanced expertise include reactor physics, thermal-hydraulic analysis, nuclear materials, nuclear fuel cycles and related engineering disciplines. The roadmap estimates that developing some of these skills into fully established competencies could take 10-15 years. The skills gap also extends to the technical workforce needed to support nuclear facilities. Rwanda will need nuclear-qualified welders, technicians, quality-control specialists, construction engineers and commissioning experts, alongside professionals in cybersecurity and digital nuclear systems. ALSO READ: Rwanda targets first 110MW from nuclear energy by 2033 Last year, Rwanda Atomic Energy Board (RAEB) CEO Fidele Ndahayo said the country would need 234 staff members during the initial operational phase of its first nuclear power plant. “This includes reactor operators, maintenance technicians, instrumentation and control engineers, radiological protection specialists, quality assurance professionals, and management personnel,” Ndahayo said. The 230-professional target forms part of the wider localisation plan, while the 234 figure refers specifically to staffing required during the initial operation of the first nuclear power plant. UR leads domestic training The University of Rwanda has already started building the country’s domestic nuclear education pipeline. UR, in partnership with RAEB, launched a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Science and Technology in December 2025. The first cohort had 52 students in the 2025-26 academic year. The programme covers nuclear techniques, radiation protection, health physics and environmental monitoring, while linking nuclear science to applications in energy, medical physics, agriculture, industrial testing and environmental protection. ALSO READ: Five things to know about Rwanda’s efforts to train nuclear scientists Students are also expected to gain practical experience through laboratories, research reactors, cyclotrons and simulator platforms. However, the roadmap says Rwanda will need to go beyond undergraduate education. Master’s and doctoral programmes, stronger research infrastructure and international academic partnerships will be needed to develop advanced nuclear engineering expertise. Rwanda Polytechnic and other technical and vocational institutions will also contribute to the technical workforce, with the roadmap calling for nuclear-specific training in areas such as reactor physics, nuclear-certified welding and non-destructive testing. International partnerships support training Rwanda has initiated international partnerships to address skills gaps that cannot yet be filled locally. The country has worked with Russia and its atomic energy company Rosatom on nuclear training since 2018, with Rwandan students pursuing nuclear engineering and nuclear technology studies at Russian universities. ALSO READ: Rwandan students among winners of Rosatom nuclear science contest Some Rwandan students are studying at Tomsk Polytechnic University, where areas of training include nuclear power plant design and operation, nuclear safety and nuclear materials management. More than 200 Rwandan students were receiving training in Russia, while another 40 were expected to be sent by the end of 2025. A separate agreement with Hungary provides for another 40 students to receive training in 2026. Rwanda has also partnered with NANO Nuclear and the Cambridge Nuclear Energy Centre, while aDual Fluid demonstration project includes hands-on training of Rwandan scientists. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology, known as AFRA, are also supporting postgraduate education, research and skills development. Plans for regional hub Rwanda’s nuclear ambitions go beyond preparing a workforce for its own facilities. The roadmap proposes a Regional Nuclear Knowledge Hub that would provide education, research and specialised training for Rwanda and other African countries. The proposed hub would cover nuclear education, regulation and licensing, reactor operations, small modular reactor technologies, radiation protection, nuclear safety, project management, research, cybersecurity and nuclear applications in medicine and agriculture. The initiative would bring together the IAEA, technology suppliers, universities and research institutions, African regional platforms such as AFRA, as well as industry and technology providers. The plan would be implemented in phases. Between 2025 and 2030, the focus would be on strengthening regulation, establishing training programmes and developing early-stage specialists. From 2030 to 2035, efforts would shift towards building the workforce required for nuclear plant operations. The following decade would focus more on advanced research and localisation before the final phase, between 2045 and 2050, shifts towards exporting nuclear expertise.
