President Goodluck Jonathan Monday at the Hague in the Netherlands
\nreaffirmed Nigeria’s full commitment to the global fight against the
\nthreat of nuclear terrorism, but said that Nigeria, under his leadership
\nwill continue to pursue efforts to harness nuclear energy and technology
\nfor socio-economic development.<\/p>\n
In his statement to the third global security summit which opened in the
\ncity today, President Jonathan said that while Nigeria will continue to
\nsupport all efforts against the proliferation of weapons of mass
\ndestruction, including nuclear weapons, the world must respect the right
\nof countries to the peaceful use of nuclear energy for development
\npurposes.<\/p>\n
“As a developing country, Nigeria needs to harness nuclear technology for
\nsocio-economic development. It is for this reason we subscribe to the
\nview that international and regional cooperation efforts should be based
\non the principle of maintaining a balance between nuclear
\nnon-proliferation obligations and the inalienable right of States to the
\npeaceful uses of nuclear energy for development purposes.
\n“While this is important, we would also like to draw attention to the need
\nto maintain the highest standards of nuclear safety and security in
\nestablishing peaceful nuclear facilities,” the President said.<\/p>\n
He told the gathering that in keeping with Nigeria’s commitment to the
\nnon-proliferation of nuclear weapons and the peaceful use of nuclear
\ntechnology, the Federal Government has submitted an executive bill to the
\nNational Assembly to accommodate the country’s obligations under
\ninternational treaties on nuclear safety and security.<\/p>\n
“Nigeria accords high priority to all global efforts towards ending the
\nproliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery,
\nincluding nuclear weapons. To this end, Nigeria has since the last Summit
\nin Seoul, strengthened the legal framework for fighting terrorism through
\nthe adoption in 2013, of an amendment to its Terrorism (Prevention) Act,
\nthus ensuring the implementation of more robust counter-terrorism measures
\nin the country.<\/p>\n
“Nigeria\u2019s ratification of some international treaties and conventions in
\nthe realm of nuclear safety, security and safeguards has necessitated the
\nreview of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority Act resulting in the
\nrecent decision of the Government to submit a new Bill to Parliament for
\nconsideration and passage into law in order to accommodate our obligations
\nunder these instruments.<\/p>\n
“The instruments include the Convention on the Physical Protection of
\nNuclear Materials and its amended version of 2005, the International
\nConvention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. The intention
\nof the bill is to ensure the fulfilment of Nigeria\u2019s international and
\nnational Nuclear Safety, Security, Safeguards and radiation protection
\nobligations, by domesticating the international treaties. The bill is
\npresently awaiting passage by the National Assembly.<\/p>\n
“Furthermore, as part of the outcome of the 2nd Nuclear Security Summit
\nheld in Seoul, South Korea in 2010, States Parties were urged on voluntary
\nbasis, to embark on the process of converting their reactors from the use
\nof Highly Enriched Uranium to Lowly Enriched Uranium. Consequently,
\nNigeria is working in collaboration with the United States of America and
\nChina for the conversion of Nigeria\u2019s limited stock of Highly Enriched
\nUranium used in its research reactor to Lowly Enriched Uranium,” President
\nJonathan said.<\/p>\n
Noting that one of the main objectives of the Nuclear Security Summit was
\nto reduce the amount of dangerous nuclear materials in the world by
\npreventing materials that can be used to produce nuclear weapons from
\nfalling into the hands of terrorists and unauthorized non-state actors,
\nthe President said that Nigeria supports the immediate commencement and
\nearly conclusion of negotiations on a “non-discriminatory, multi-lateral
\nand internationally and effectively verifiable treaty banning the
\nproduction of fissile materials for nuclear weapons”.<\/p>\n
He commended the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki Moon for
\nestablishing a Group of Governmental Experts which will begin work in
\nGeneva next week on the proposal.<\/p>\n
“Nigeria shares the view that fewer nuclear weapons translate into more
\nnuclear security while at the same time reducing the risk of
\nproliferation.<\/p>\n
“But it is even more important that States as represented at this Summit
\ndemonstrate the necessary political will to embark on the path towards the
\nultimate goal of total and complete nuclear disarmament under strict and
\neffective international control,” President Jonathan concluded.<\/p>\n
He thanked the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mr. Mark Rutte for
\nhosting the summit and commended President Barack Obama who was present at
\nthe opening ceremony “for his continued leadership of this important
\nproject”.<\/p>\n
Other world leaders participating in the summit include President Xi
\nJinping of China, Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain, Chancellor
\nAngela Merkel of Germany, President Francois Hollande of France, Prime
\nMinister Shinzo Abe of Japan, the President of South Korea, Ms. Park
\nGeun-hye and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki Moon.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
President Goodluck Jonathan Monday at the Hague in the Netherlands reaffirmed Nigeria’s full commitment to the global fight against the threat of nuclear terrorism, but said that Nigeria, under his…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21847,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24646","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n