Nigeria Reaffirms Commitment to Peace, Rejects Nuclear Weapons

Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has categorically stated that the country will not pursue nuclear weapons. In a discussion with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), he emphasised that Nigeria’s priority remains addressing poverty and the growing climate crisis across sub-Saharan Africa.

“No Business with Nuclear Weapons”

During a courtesy visit by CTBTO’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Robert Floyd, at the Presidential Villa, Shettima made Nigeria’s position clear. According to a statement from the Vice President’s media team:

“We have no business dabbling in anything that has to do with nuclear weapons. The outcome of any nuclear conflict is never a win‑win situation; it is always the opposite. We are fighting poverty; we are fighting a war against the relationship between the economy and ecology in sub‑Saharan Africa.” According to Nairametrics

He reiterated Nigeria’s continued endorsement of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), acknowledging the importance of its network of 337 monitoring stations in detecting nuclear tests and supporting environmental surveillance

Poverty and Climate Change > Nuclear Weapons

Shettima further stressed that Nigeria’s governmental efforts are centred on combating poverty and curbing ecological threats such as desertification, floods, and biodiversity loss. These challenges, he argued, pose a more immediate risk to national stability than any perceived strategic advantage from nuclear armament.

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Supporting this view, a report on climate change’s impact in Nigeria highlights how rising temperatures, irregular rainfall, and agricultural disruptions increase vulnerability, especially among rural and low-income communities.

CTBTO Applauds Nigeria’s Leadership

Dr. Robert Floyd praised Nigeria’s active role in promoting international non-proliferation norms. He lauded the technical assistance from the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) and Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), noting their contributions to global nuclear monitoring and disaster detection such as tsunamis and volcanic activity.

This partnership, Floyd added, enhances ecological safety and global security alike.