Nuclear Weapons Not Africa’s Priority, FG Tells Global Watchdog

By Eshiorameh Sebastian in Abuja

The Federal Government has reaffirmed it Commitment to nuclear test ban, declaring that Africa’s immediate focus should be on tackling poverty and climate change rather than pursuing nuclear weapons.

Vice President Kashim Shettima made the assertion on Monday during a courtesy visit by Dr. Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

“We are fighting poverty; we are fighting a war against the relationship between the economy and ecology in sub-Saharan Africa. We have no business dabbling in anything that has to do with nuclear weapons,” Shettima stated emphatically.

He stressed that Nigeria remains fully aligned with global efforts to prevent nuclear testing, emphasizing that “the outcome of any nuclear conflict is never a win-win situation; it is always the opposite.”

Shettima commended the CTBTO for its global monitoring network, which includes 337 stations capable of detecting nuclear tests, as seen in the detection of all seven tests conducted by North Korea.

“The beauty of CTBTO’s function is that its monitors also serve civilian purposes, especially in assisting us to detect tsunamis, volcanic seismic activities. Your functions are contributing to the global stability of our ecology,” he noted.

The Vice President’s remarks underscore Nigeria’s long-standing position as a responsible actor in nuclear non-proliferation, aligning with international treaties and advocating for peaceful uses of nuclear technology.

In his response, Dr. Robert Floyd applauded Nigeria’s leadership under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting global efforts to curb nuclear testing. He described the partnership between Nigeria and the CTBTO as “a natural alliance” and highlighted the critical role of Nigerian agencies—the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA)—in advancing the treaty’s objectives.

“Nigeria has been instrumental in strengthening the norms against nuclear testing,” Floyd said, acknowledging the country’s technical contributions in early disaster detection and ecological monitoring.

Engr. Anthony Ekedegwa, Acting Chairman of NAEC, emphasized that collaboration with the CTBTO has enhanced Nigeria’s capacity in nuclear safety and regulatory oversight. Similarly, Dr. Yau Idris, Director-General of the NNRA, reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to enforcing international nuclear test bans.

The meeting was also attended by senior officials, including Ambassador Dunoma Ahmed, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Charles Oko, CTBTO’s Senior External Relations Officer.