By Dr. Mohamed H’Midouche, DBA
Energy is becoming a weapon of power. The agreement announced on March 19, 2026 in Washington between the United States and Japan, mobilizing up to $40 billion for the development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), is the most recent illustration of this.
But beyond this announcement, a central question now imposes itself on African decision-makers: can Africa achieve sustainable energy and industrial sovereignty without integrating controllable, secure, and financeable energy alongside renewables and hydrogen?
The answer to this question goes beyond the energy sector alone. It involves the continent’s position in the industrial value chains of the 21st century.
The global energy landscape is undergoing a profound transformation. SMRs are no longer a marginal innovation, but a structuring lever of power. A strategic competition is emerging behind their development, where major powers seek to structure complete value chains ranging from technology to financing, through operation, maintenance, and training.
In this context, Africa can no longer be a simple deployment space. It is faced with a decisive choice: to participate in this transformation or to suffer the consequences. The question is not just about energy; it is about industry, geopolitics, and sovereignty.
The African energy debate has long opposed renewable energies to nuclear. Today, efficient energy systems rely on an intelligent combination of different sources.
Renewable energies offer undeniable abundance, but their intermittency limits their capacity to support sustainable industrialization. SMRs provide controllable energy that can stabilize networks and power industrial activities. Hydrogen, on the other hand, allows energy storage and conversion into an industrial vector, opening the way to new value chains.
In conclusion, the path to African energy sovereignty requires collective action. South-South cooperation can play a vital role in structuring a collective approach. African institutions, such as development banks, regional energy pools, and centers of excellence, have a crucial role to play.
Africa’s energy sovereignty cannot be achieved solely through traditional partnerships. South-South cooperation is a strategic lever that is not yet fully utilized.
The sharing of experiences, the pooling of skills, the networking of regulators, joint engineer training, and the development of regional projects can contribute to structuring a collective approach. African institutions have a key role to play.
The energy sovereignty of Africa can only be collective. In a world marked by shifting alliances, fragmented markets, and competition on strategic technologies, continental integration becomes imperative.
In the 21st century, true energy sovereignty is not measured by the energy consumed, but by the energy controlled, transformed, and exported.
References – Reuters (2026), Japan, US announce energy projects, critical minerals action plan, March 19. – Bloomberg (2026), Trump, Takaichi Unveil $40 Billion US Nuclear Power Project, March 19. – Nikkei Asia (2026), coverage of the US-Japan energy partnership and nuclear investments, March. – International Atomic Energy Agency (AIEA), publications on civil nuclear programs and SMRs. – World Bank, data on access to electricity in Africa. – H’Midouche, M. (2024), interview in DIFA – Defense Infos Financial Afrik, issue 08, October.
About the Author Dr. Mohamed H’Midouche, DBA, is the CEO of Inter-Africa Capital Group and a former international civil servant. He is an expert in development finance and energy strategies in Africa.
