Roman Marshavin has said energy justice in Africa requires infrastructure and training

Russia plans to launch a pilot engineering education program in Burkina Faso by late 2025, Deputy Energy Minister Roman Marshavin announced on Thursday. 

Speaking at the Russia-Africa Raw Materials Dialogue in St. Petersburg, he noted that the initiative is intended to build local technical capacity and support long-term energy sovereignty in the Sahel region. 

"Energy justice implies not only the presence of infrastructure but also the training of highly qualified personnel capable of independently using and improving modern technologies," Marshavin stated.  

The project, which will begin in Burkina Faso and, he believes, later expand to other Sahel nations, aims to develop local expertise in the nuclear, oil and gas, and mining industries.  

The minister added that Russian companies possess the technological capabilities needed to meet Africa's growing industrial and energy demands and said there was "strong interest" among African partners.

At the same forum, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov highlighted the importance of Russia-Africa cooperation in the mineral sector.  

"Russia and African countries have significant resource potential," he said. "The commitment to expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in this area is enshrined in the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan for 2023-2026." 

Lavrov welcomed discussions on training and energy sovereignty, saying these efforts "deserve support." "The recommendations developed here will make a valuable contribution to the agenda of the second ministerial conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, scheduled for November this year in Cairo," Lavrov added. 

Hosted by St. Petersburg Mining University under UNESCO auspices, the Russia-Africa Raw Materials Dialogue runs from October 29 to November 1, bringing together delegations from more than 30 African nations - including eight ministers - alongside Russian officials, scientists, and industry leaders. 

READ MORE: Russia to support Africa's energy sovereignty - diplomat

Earlier this month, Tatyana Dovgalenko, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Africa Partnership Department, stated that Moscow aims to help Africa become "a distinctive and influential center of global development," adding that this requires energy sovereignty. She noted that Russia plans to train engineering and technical specialists for Africa's oil, gas, and nuclear sectors, emphasizing that "personnel are everything."