Vice President Kashim Shettima has reiterated that Africas current priorities lie in combating poverty and tackling climate change, not in the pursuit of nuclear weapons or related capabilities.
Shettima made the remarks on Monday while hosting Robert Floyd, the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), during a courtesy visit to the State House in Abuja.
Speaking on behalf of the Nigerian government, the Vice President emphasized that fears of Africa becoming a testing ground for nuclear weapons were unfounded. Our continent is far more concerned with issues of food security, climate resilience, and economic development, Shettima stated.
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The CTBTO is a global body focused on enforcing the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which seeks to eliminate nuclear test explosions and prevent nuclear proliferation worldwide.
The outcome of any nuclear conflict is never a win-win situation; it is always the opposite, he told the CTBTO executive secretary.
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.
The vice-president said Nigeria remains committed to a comprehensive nuclear test ban and lauded the CTBTOs efforts in detecting tsunamis and volcanic seismic activities.
Your functions are contributing to the global stability of our ecology, Shettima said.
Floyd applauded Nigerias leadership and its role in the attainment of the global average in the reduction of nuclear testing and establishment of strong norms against it.
Anthony Ekedegwa, acting chairman of the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC); Yau Idris, director general of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA); Dunoma Ahmed, permanent secretary in the ministry of foreign affairs; and Charles Oko, CTBTOs senior external relations officer, were also present at the meeting.
