"'Governments across Africa are devising policies to become middle-income countries in the medium term. Socioeconomic growth comes with a rise in energy demand and a need to secure a reliable and sustainable energy supply, while countries with sufficient electricity supply face the dual challenge of a rapidly growing energy demand and concerns for the environment,' Grossi said at Africa Nuclear Business Platform's ANBP Lite conference on 19 April.

'Over one billion people in the world have no access to electricity, and two-thirds of those live in Africa,' he said. 'Access to clean, reliable and affordable energy is a precondition for raising living standards and improving human well-being. Energy affects health care, education and job opportunities, among others. And this is why nuclear power is becoming an attractive option for several countries in Africa in need of a clean, reliable and cost-effective source of energy.'

'Of the nearly 30 so-called newcomer countries that are embarking [on] or considering nuclear power, almost one-third are in Africa. Why are countries in Africa looking at nuclear? Very simple. The reasons vary, but they all come back to one word: reliability,' he said."