From Femi Mustapha in Kaduna
The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria has denied allegations of a secret nuclear project, clarifying the history and evolution of Nigeria’s Nuclear Energy Programme and the university’s contribution to it.
The university’s management has debunked false claims circulating on social media, stating that ABU has no connections with the AQ Khan Network from Pakistan and has not received equipment for the construction of a centrifuge.
Nigeria’s interest in nuclear energy began in 1960, triggered by France’s test of an Atomic Bomb in the Sahara Desert. The Federal Government established the Federal Radiation Protection Service (FRPS) in the Department of Physics, University of Ibadan, to monitor the effects of the test.
In 1976, the Murtala-Obasanjo regime designated ABU and OAU, Ile-Ife, as institutions to drive Nigeria’s nuclear programme, emphasizing peaceful uses in line with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) charter.
ABU established the Center for Energy Research and Training (CERT) in 1976, which has established modest nuclear facilities with collaboration from the IAEA and international stakeholders.
The 34 kW Nuclear Research Reactor, NIRR-1, was acquired in 2004 and converted to Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) in 2018, in line with Global Threat Reduction Initiatives (GTRI).
Commitment to peaceful uses,
Nigeria and ABU have always pursued peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology, demonstrated by the founder’s visit to the Museum of Atomic Energy at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the US in 1960.
Transparency and Cooperation
ABU has carried out its nuclear activities with openness and participation of development partners, including the IAEA and other international stakeholders.
The university’s management has assured that Nigeria does not own or operate a uranium enrichment or fuel fabrication plant, and has always complied with international treaties and agreements
