Ghana and Russia have agreed to cooperate on the development of a 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant, as Accra seeks to diversify its energy mix and secure a reliable electricity supply to support industrial growth.

The announcement was made by Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, following talks between President John Dramani Mahama and Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 30, on the sidelines of the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow.

According to the Ghanaian government, the proposed facility is expected to strengthen the country's long-term energy security and support its industrialisation strategy. However, the authorities have not yet disclosed the project's estimated cost, construction site, financing arrangements or implementation timeline. A construction start in 2027 has not been officially confirmed.

The announcement comes as Russia expands its nuclear energy cooperation across Africa. On October 30, the head of Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, said the company was in discussions with Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia and Egypt over the development of large-scale nuclear power plants.

Russia is already building Egypt's El Dabaa nuclear power plant, its first such project in the country. South Africa remains the only African nation currently operating a commercial nuclear power station.

Beyond energy, the talks between Mahama and Putin also resulted in commitments to strengthen military cooperation. Ghana's Foreign Ministry announced a new defence agreement under which Russia would provide strategic military equipment to the Ghana Armed Forces.

The discussions also addressed the recruitment of Ghanaian nationals into Russia's war against Ukraine. According to Foreign Minister Ablakwa, Putin agreed that Ghanaians would no longer be allowed to participate in the conflict, including through voluntary enlistment or irregular recruitment.

The two countries also agreed to expand cooperation in agriculture, particularly grain production and fertiliser supplies, increase scholarships for Ghanaian students in Russia and revive their Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation.

The commitments mark an expansion of Ghana-Russia relations across energy, defence, agriculture and education. However, the nuclear power project remains at the cooperation and planning stage, with key technical and financial details yet to be announced.