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Daniel Adaji
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to green and sustainable energy by exploring the use of nuclear energy as a viable solution to Nigeria’s power challenges.
This was revealed on Tuesday by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, during a meeting with the Acting Chairman of the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC), Anthony Ekedewa, in Abuja.
Adelabu stated that the collaboration between the Ministry of Power and NAEC marks a critical step toward diversifying Nigeria’s energy mix and reforming the power sector for long-term sustainability.
“Nuclear energy is the future of power generation. We must partner with you on how to improve the sector, and this meeting is a right step in the right direction,” he said.
He emphasised that the use of nuclear power aligns with global energy trends and offers a cleaner, more stable alternative to conventional energy sources.
According to him, “This is an advanced level of energy generation, but we must also embrace it because whatever that can add value to our power sector, we must embrace.”
However, the Minister advised NAEC to reconsider its plan to build four large-scale nuclear plants, each with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts.
He proposed instead the adoption of modular nuclear reactors, which are more compatible with the government’s ongoing power sector decentralisation reforms.
“This is an area that States can benefit from. A lot of investment has gone into the development of the commission over the years and Nigeria should start reaping from the investment,” he said.
While acknowledging that the nuclear power process is complex and costly, the Minister underscored its long-term benefits.
“I wish we were there already in this country, but we are not there yet. Nuclear power plant tends to be at the lower end of concern over the years, but we have to understand that nuclear energy is the future of energy generation,” he said.
To move the collaboration forward, Adelabu proposed a joint workshop involving the Ministry, NAEC, and key stakeholders in the energy sector. “This is certainly for the future of this country and it is important we make progress on it,” he said.
Earlier, Ekedewa expressed optimism about the partnership and briefed the Minister on the Commission’s mandate and plans. He revealed that feasibility studies had already been conducted at two potential sites for nuclear plants in Geregu, Kogi State and Idu, Akwa Ibom State.
“We want to work and partner with you in the area of power generation,” Ekedewa said. “We can be a base load for the country and this collaboration is part of our energy policy, but we are however limited by resources to undertake this project.”
He highlighted the Commission’s longstanding role in Nigeria’s energy landscape, saying, “The commission was established in 1976, and as a renewable energy source, nuclear energy could power the entire country.”
Present during the meeting were senior NAEC officials including Prof. Abdullahi Mati, Awwal Bisallah, and Justice Sule.