Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has reaffirmed the country's firm commitment to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), stressing that Nigeria will not backslide on the global pact to prohibit nuclear weapons testing.
Shettima gave the assurance on Monday during a courtesy visit by the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), Dr. Robert Floyd, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Highlighting Africa’s pressing development priorities, the Vice President said that the continent, and Nigeria in particular, was more focused on addressing existential challenges such as poverty eradication and climate change rather than engaging in nuclear arms competition.
“The outcome of any nuclear conflict is never a win-win situation,” Shettima stated. “We are fighting poverty. We are fighting the war between ecology and economy in Sub-Saharan Africa. We have no business dabbling in anything related to nuclear weapons.”
He praised the CTBTO’s work in maintaining global surveillance through its 337 monitoring stations and noted that the agency’s efforts have far-reaching benefits beyond nuclear security.
“Your monitoring systems help with tsunami and volcanic seismic detection. These are vital civilian applications that contribute to global stability,” he added.
On his part, Dr. Floyd commended Nigeria for its unwavering support of the CTBT and its consistent leadership in promoting disarmament and non-proliferation in Africa.
“Nigeria is a natural partner,” Floyd said, lauding the technical contributions of NAEC (Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission) and NNRA (Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority) toward advancing the objectives of the CTBTO.
Floyd also praised Nigeria’s progress in capacity-building, scientific collaboration, and its role in strengthening global norms against nuclear testing.
Adding to the dialogue, the Acting Chairman of NAEC, Anthony Ekedegwa, said Nigeria's partnership with the CTBTO has significantly enhanced national technical capabilities. Meanwhile, the Director-General of NNRA, Dr. Yau Idris, emphasized the importance of international cooperation in enforcing compliance with nuclear regulations.
Nigeria signed the CTBT in 1996 and ratified it in 2001, and it remains one of Africa’s vocal advocates for a nuclear-free world.
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