Ghana’s nuclear power programme faces a significant setback due to a legal gap, with no nuclear regulatory instruments passed by Parliament in nearly a decade.
A recent Ghana News Agency investigation has revealed that despite years of international support and technical efforts, no nuclear regulatory instrument has been enacted.
These regulations are critical to the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA), which oversees radiation exposure from nuclear facilities and ensures the protection of human health and the environment.
The Nuclear Regulatory Authority Act requires complementary regulations for licensing and enforcement duties, but the country’s regulatory framework remains incomplete.
Sources close to the process say the draft regulations, developed over the years, have yet to undergo mandatory legal review by the Attorney-General’s Department before being submitted to Parliament.
An official source at the NRA confirmed that the Authority had submitted nine draft regulations to the Attorney-General’s Department, of which seven have been finalised.
These are currently under review by Parliament’s Subsidiary Legislation Committee before being formally laid before Parliament.
However, no such regulations have been presented for approval.
This development comes as Ghana advances to Phase Two of its nuclear power programme, described as the “construction readiness” stage.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stresses that a legally backed regulatory framework is vital for licensing, safety oversight, and investor confidence in nuclear development.
Regulatory frameworks are identified as critical infrastructure in the IAEA’s milestones in the development of a national infrastructure for nuclear power, with regulatory frameworks ranking seventh out of 19 issues.
Experts caution that even if Ghana adopts regulatory models from other jurisdictions, the instruments must be domesticated and processed under national law to become legally binding.
The nuclear programme has experienced delays, with the original target to introduce nuclear power by 2029 now shifting to the mid-2030s.
Energy analysts assert that finalising the regulatory framework is crucial for the successful construction and operation of the nuclear plant.
A source at Parliament confirmed that no new nuclear-related legislation has been passed, noting that a proposal for a nuclear regulatory authority was discussed towards the end of the 8th Parliament but was not enacted.
Source: GNA
