##**Ghana plans big push into nuclear skills**

##Ghana plans big push into nuclear skills

_Training 2,000 scientists before a single plant is built_
Ghana is not building a nuclear power plant tomorrow. It is building the people who would run one.

That was the message from Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson when he presented the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament on Thursday, November 12.

"As part of our nuclear-readiness journey, government will train over 2,000 scientists to build local expertise to drive Ghana's transition to safe and reliable nuclear power," he said.

What was announced

1. A 24-month readiness programme
Government will invest US$200 million in a nuclear-readiness programme running from January 2027 to December 2028.

2. A target for December 2028
By then, Ghana wants to have finished the critical preparatory work and signed an engineering, procurement, construction and financing contract for a proposed nuclear power plant.

Forson was clear about what that does not mean: readiness in 2028 is not the same as switching on nuclear power in 2028.

3. State-owned, not private
The plant will remain a strategic national asset and will not be developed as an independent power producer. International partners will only provide technology, financing, engineering and specialist services.

4. The skills plan
At the centre of it: training more than 2,000 scientists.

That follows President John Dramani Mahama's announcement in October 2026 that Ghana had begun discussions with Russia's State Nuclear Energy Corporation, Rosatom, over its first nuclear power station.

Why skills matter here — in everyday words

Think of nuclear power like this:

Ghana today mostly gets electricity from water (hydro, like Akosombo), gas, and some solar. Those sources can go up and down. Water levels drop. Gas prices move. Solar only works when the sun shines.

Nuclear is different. It is what energy experts call baseload — power that can run day and night, rain or shine, for months without stopping. One plant can power millions of homes and factories steadily.

But you cannot just buy that power and plug it in.

A nuclear plant needs:
- Engineers who understand reactors.
- Physicists and safety analysts who check for risks.
- Radiation protection officers.
- Environmental scientists.
- Inspectors and regulators who can say "no" if something is unsafe.

If Ghana does not have those people, it will have to depend entirely on foreigners to build, run, and check the plant. That is expensive, and it is risky.

Training 2,000 scientists now is Ghana saying: _We want to own the knowledge, not just the building.

Forson even compared the project to the construction of the Akosombo Dam under Ghana's first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah — a project that was not just about electricity, but about national ambition.

What this could mean for jobs and energy

For jobs:
- Direct jobs: Scientists, engineers, technicians, safety officers, and regulators. Ghana will need nuclear engineers, physicists, reactor specialists, safety analysts, electrical and mechanical engineers, nuclear security professionals, and radiation protection personnel, among others.
- Training jobs: Universities, technical schools, and research centres will need lecturers, labs, and partnerships.
- Spillover jobs: Even if you never work in a nuclear plant, skills in physics, engineering, maths, and safety are useful in hospitals, factories, mining, and tech.

For young Ghanaians in STEM, this is a signal: the government is betting that science careers will matter for the next 20-30 years.

For energy:
- Cheaper, steadier power in the long run: The wider energy plan aims to cut the cost of generation and phase out expensive emergency power plants by 2030.
- Power for industry: Factories need power that does not cut off. Steady baseload power makes it easier to run 24-hour manufacturing, process cocoa, bauxite, and manganese at home, and attract investors.
- Less dependence: A state-owned plant is meant to keep control in Ghanaian hands, rather than paying a private producer for decades.

What to watch next

1. Who gets trained, and where? Will training happen in Ghana, abroad, or both? Will it include women in STEM?
2. The contract by Dec 2028: Does Ghana actually sign the EPC + financing deal?
3. Safety and licensing: Preparations will include assessments of site suitability, technology selection, environmental impact, financing, licensing, safeguards, emergency planning and safety requirements.
4. Cost: US$200 million is just for readiness. Building the plant itself will cost billions more.

Bottom line: This budget announcement is not about flipping a switch. It is about whether Ghana can build a generation of scientists who can safely run one of the most complex machines a country can own — and whether that bet pays off in cheaper, more reliable power.