The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), the African Union (AU) and the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE) will co-operate in support of peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology for socio-economic development across Africa. The partnership was formalised on 13 February 2026 in the margins of the AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“As some African countries explore the development of nuclear energy, this partnership creates a vital platform for promoting informed, fact-based decision making and shared progress,” said NEA Director-General William D. Magwood, IV. “The challenges these countries face are similar to those experienced by many NEA members, and by working together we can advance economic development and skills expansion across the African continent.”
NEA Director-General William D. Magwood, IV, Lerato Dorothy Mataboge, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy at the African Union, and Gaspard Liyoko Mboyo, AFCONE Chairperson, sign the MoU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the three organisations will advance knowledge exchange and capacity building on nuclear regulation and safety, infrastructure and policy design, scientific and technological advances and waste management. It will help ensure co-ordinated exchanges on the African continent and foster closer relationships between organisations in Africa and those within NEA member countries.
The NEA launched the Common Journey Initiative to enhance co-operation between the NEA and African countries that have decided to pursue development of nuclear energy programmes. These efforts will continue under the aegis of the new MoU.
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