The equipment, HM-5 identiFINDER, is valued at 270,000 Ghanaian cedis (approximately $26,000 USD) and is expected to significantly bolster Ghana’s capacity to detect, locate, measure, and identify radioactive and nuclear material.

This is essential in ensuring that Ghana meets its reporting obligations under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear safeguards system.

The donation forms part of ongoing U.S. support to Ghana’s civilian nuclear energy programme and broader efforts to promote the peaceful and responsible use of nuclear energy across the African continent.

Mr Rolf Olson, the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Ghana, officially handed over the equipment during a meeting with senior officials of the NRA in Accra.

The Chargé d’Affaires reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to advancing nuclear security, non-proliferation, and energy development in partnership with Ghana.
He described the equipment as a critical tool that would help the NRA in identifying potential sources of nuclear material and mitigating associated risks.

“This detection system will reinforce Ghana’s safeguards infrastructure and help the country continue to meet the highest standards of nuclear safety and non-proliferation under its IAEA obligations,” Mr Olson said.

The NRA is Ghana’s independent nuclear regulatory body responsible for overseeing and controlling the safe use of nuclear and radioactive materials in the country.
It plays a central role in ensuring that Ghana’s use of nuclear technology is peaceful, transparent, and adheres to international legal frameworks, particularly those of the IAEA.

The latest donation builds on a series of technical and institutional collaborations between Ghana and the United States aimed at enhancing nuclear safety and advancing responsible nuclear energy development.

In January this year, the U.S. Government, through the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) Programme, inaugurated the E2 Center at the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences in Accra.

The facility features a NuScale Power Small Modular Reactor (SMR) digital control room simulator, giving Ghanaian engineers and students hands-on experience in advanced SMR operations and training.

In addition, the FIRST Programme has co-sponsored study tours to the United States and Japan for Ghanaian nuclear engineers and facilitated academic partnerships between Ghanaian institutions and Texas A&M University – one of the top nuclear engineering programmes in the U.S. – to support the development of SMR-related curricula.

For over a decade, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) has worked closely with the NRA through the International Nuclear Safeguards Engagement Programme (INSEP) to support Ghana’s implementation of the IAEA safeguards system.

This collaboration included drafting nuclear safeguards regulations, technical consultations to strengthen Ghana’s nuclear law, training on non-destructive assay techniques for nuclear material, and support for the establishment of sustainable safeguards infrastructure.

The INSEP programme, under the DOE/NNSA, is designed to help states meet the highest international standards of nuclear accountability and security while supporting the goals of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

Officials from both the NRA and the U.S. Embassy highlighted that such partnerships are critical as Ghana continues to position itself as a leader in nuclear energy development in West Africa, especially as the country explores small modular reactor technology as a component of its future energy mix.

The event marked another milestone in the longstanding cooperation between Ghana and the United States in promoting peaceful nuclear applications, capacity building, and international safeguards compliance.