Nuclear Summit: Buhari to Justify Use of Nuclear Energy for Economic Development

President Muhammadu Buhari will be addressing world leaders on why it is important for Nigeria to use nuclear energy to develop its economy at the 4th Nuclear Security Summit, which opens in Washington DC on Wednesday.

The president would leave Abuja for Washington DC to join President Barack Obama and about 60 other world leaders and heads of international organisations and would speak at plenary sessions of the summit which is dedicated to reinforcing international commitment to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

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.