Former Vice Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and former Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has called for a greater focus on people, institutions and leadership in Africa’s quest to develop sustainable nuclear energy programmes.

Dr Opoku Prempeh made the call while delivering the keynote address on the second day of the U.S.-Africa Nuclear Energy Summit 2026 on Thursday September 3,2026, where he spoke on the theme, “Leadership Beyond the Build: Sustaining Institutions for Generations.”

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He emphasised that Africa’s nuclear-energy ambitions must go beyond the construction of physical infrastructure and focus equally on developing the human capital and institutional capacity required to sustain such programmes over generations.

According to him, the success of Africa’s nuclear-energy future would depend not only on technology and infrastructure but also on the quality of leadership and institutions established to manage and advance the sector.

He argued that developing skilled professionals, strengthening institutions and cultivating responsible leadership were essential to ensuring that Africa could build a safe, sustainable and African-led nuclear-energy future.

“The most enduring infrastructure a nation can build is its people,” Dr Opoku Prempeh said.

He further underscored the importance of ensuring that the knowledge, expertise and institutional systems developed today would be preserved and transferred to future generations

His address formed part of discussions at the summit focused on Africa’s nuclear-energy future, energy security, skills development and the institutional leadership required to support the continent’s long-term energy needs.

Dr Opoku Prempeh’s remarks also highlighted the need for African countries to take ownership of their nuclear-energy ambitions and develop the requisite capacity to manage such programmes “with our own hands.”

He used the occasion to reiterate the conviction that with the right leadership, institutions and investment in people, Africa can successfully develop and sustain a nuclear-energy industry capable of contributing significantly to energy security and development.