[_indigo1]

Your talking like we have to start from scratch or even rely on local institutions.
This is an already solved problem. It is a known problem which is why international organisations, not the least being the ones with a vested interest given that they want to sell their reactors, provide the framework and tools to get countries up and running quickly in this situation.

28 years is a long time. Plenty of time to train staff to run a modern mostly automated SMR, as well as leveraging international talent locally as a stop gap - which we only have ourselves to blame for requiring.

However yes the will is a problem. But as I said this thought experiment doesn't make sense if you discount the will to even try.