President Muhammadu Buhari will leave Abuja for Washington DC tomorrow,
Wednesday, March 30, 2016 to join President Barack Obama and about 60
other world leaders and heads of international organisations at the 4th
Nuclear Security Summit which opens there on Thursday.
At plenary sessions of the summit which is dedicated to reinforcing
international commitment to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons,
President Buhari will insist that while Nigeria will continue to sustain
that commitment, world powers must respect the right of other countries
to the peaceful use of nuclear energy for development purposes.
The President will reaffirm Nigeria’s stance that international efforts to
ensure greater security of nuclear materials should maintain a balance
between nuclear non-proliferation obligations and the indisputable right
of Nigeria and other countries to harness nuclear energy and technology
for socio-economic development.
It will be recalled that at a meeting with him in Abuja earlier this
month, President Buhari told the Director-General of the International
Atomic Energy Agency, Mr. Yukiya Amano that the Federal Government will
welcome greater support from the agency for Nigeria’s aspiration to begin
the generation of electricity with nuclear energy.
While in Washington DC for the Nuclear Security Summit, the President and
his delegation which includes Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State,
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State, the Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana
Monguno (rtd.) and the Director-General of Nigeria’s Nuclear Regulatory
Agency, Prof Lawrence Anikwe Dim, will also hold bilateral meetings with
other participating Heads of Government and high-ranking United States
Government officials.
President Buhari will depart Washington DC for Abuja on Sunday.