Vice President Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to the global ban on nuclear weapons testing.
He made this statement during a meeting at the Presidential Villa with a delegation from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), led by its Executive Secretary, Dr Robert Floyd.
Shettima emphasised that Nigeria, like many other African nations, is currently grappling with serious socio-economic challenges, including poverty and climate change.
“Africa’s pressing priorities lie in addressing existential threats such as poverty and the effects of climate change, not in pursuing nuclear weapons capability,” he stated.
He added, “The outcome of any nuclear conflict is never a win-win situation—it is always devastating. In sub-Saharan Africa, we are engaged in a battle against poverty and the complex relationship between the economy and ecology. We have no interest in engaging in any nuclear arms pursuits.
“I wish to reiterate Nigeria’s full commitment to a comprehensive nuclear test ban and commend your organisation’s vigilance, demonstrated through its 337 monitoring stations worldwide. All seven nuclear tests conducted by DPR Korea were detected.”
The Vice President praised the CTBTO for its contributions to civilian purposes, such as tsunami and volcanic activity detection, as well as its role in supporting global ecological stability.
In response, Dr Robert Floyd commended Nigeria’s leadership under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting efforts to reduce nuclear testing and establish strong international norms against it. He described the relationship between Nigeria and the CTBTO as a “natural partnership.”
Dr Floyd also highlighted Nigeria’s valuable contributions through its focal institutions—the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA)—acknowledging their technical expertise and firm commitment to achieving the CTBTO’s objectives.