Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday reaffirmed Nigeria’s strong commitment to a comprehensive ban on nuclear testing. He emphasised the nation’s ongoing collaboration with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO).
Shettima stated that for Africa, the immediate focus is on tackling pressing issues like poverty and the impacts of climate change, rather than pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities.
He conveyed this position during a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa by Robert Floyd, the Executive Secretary of the CTBTO. “The outcome of any nuclear conflict is never a win-win situation; it is always the opposite,” he stressed.
“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.”
He assured Floyd of Nigeria’s unwavering dedication to a comprehensive nuclear test ban, commending the CTBTO for its vigilance, evidenced by its global network of 337 monitoring stations that successfully detected all seven tests conducted by DPR Korea.
Shettima further praised the dual benefit of CTBTO’s monitoring capabilities, noting, “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.”
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Earlier, Floyd lauded Nigeria’s leadership under President Bola Tinubu for its contributions to reducing global nuclear testing and fostering strong norms against it.
He characterised the relationship between the CTBTO and Nigeria as a ‘natural partnership.’
Floyd specifically highlighted the valuable technical inputs and commitment provided by Nigeria through its key agencies –the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA)– towards achieving the CTBTO’s objectives.
He underscored the importance of data generated by NAEC and NNRA in disaster preparedness, particularly for early detection of natural disasters and other human activities that could disrupt the ecosystem.
More so, Engr. Anthony Ekedegwa, the Acting Chairman of NAEC explained that Nigeria’s collaboration with the CTBTO has been crucial in building capacity and equipping the commission’s facilities for sector development within the country.
Similarly, Yau Idris, the Director General/CEO of NNRA, detailed his agency’s partnership with the CTBTO in ensuring global compliance with international regulations on nuclear tests and their prohibition.
