Fashola reaasures on 4,800MW nuclear power project
Babatunde Fashola
There is no going back on Nigeria’s quest for 4,800MW from nuclear technology by the year 2035, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has reassured.
He said government was working hard to diversify its energy mix beyond the traditional sources of gas, oil and hydro to include nuclear and other renewable sources like solar, biomass and wind.
A statement from the Ministry quoted Fashola as saying when he received the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano, in Abuja.
The minister commended the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) and its team of experts for the research works and human capacity building efforts in this specialised field, urging it not to relent in the crusade of making Nigerians deploy safe use of the technology.
“You must begin to break down the seeming complex issues around nuclear power into simple terms and language that our people can understand, we must try to demystify issues around nuclear power in Nigeria,” he said, adding that the nation cannot afford to be left behind in the acquisition of appropriate nuclear technologies.
The minister added that Nigeria had developed a comprehensive nuclear law currently awaiting legislative inputs at the National Assembly.
Fashola assured that government would strengthen the capacity of the regulatory regime.He noted that the procurement activities for the first nuclear power plant with generation capacity of 1,200MW of power to the national grid by 2025 would be done as scheduled.
The two sites selected by the commission are located in Geregu in Ajaokuta Local Council of Kogi State and Itu council area Akwa-Ibom State.
“These projects are to be financed through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) policy for infrastructural development in the country with the target being to increase it to 4,800MW by the year 2035,” he noted.
Earlier, Amano informed the minister that IAEA regards Nigeria as an important partner, hence the agency wants to transfer nuclear technology, which it is convinced, would not be used adversely.
He emphasized that IAEA, as a responsible international agency, wants Nigeria to use nuclear power for peace and development.
NAEC chairman, Dr. Erepamo Osaisai, said the nation had made remarkable progress in the development and strengthening of activities in the diverse and specialised areas of nuclear energy, such as energy planning, peaceful use of nuclear for industrial, education, research works, medicine and power generation.
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18 Comments
You better think of Fukushima, before you start thinking Nuclear.
The whole world is looking for safer alternatives whilst we are busy massaging overbloated egos
We burn and wasted 80% of our gas and here we are talking about nuclear energy. Comparative advantage in economic 101.
This minister is indeed smart. As you can see Germany along side other nuclear powers will completely decommission their nuclear power plants by 2022 and ours will take off by 2025. That means a limitless supply of tokumboh parts. I REALLY CAN’T STOP LAUGHING.
Governor Fashola should not be part of this craziness of nuclear energy, first there is no storage for all the waste and second Nigeria has no culture of maintaince and third find out why Germany are getting out of the programm, a nuclear accident might mean the end of Nigeria. Think twice.
Why do we like to window dress. We cannot manage the most basic power plant, and we are dreaming of Nuclear. In addition, the capacity is also meagre, less than 5,000MW by 2035. Are these people serious at all? Seems Fashola does not know what he is talking about. I am sorry for the people living around the host community of the project
I like your sense of irony fashola. A country that could not manage roads is thinking of a nuclear energy. Billions were spent on abeokuta steel yet nothing was realised. Instead of investing in clean energy like the solar where Nigeria has a better capacity and chance, you are talking of nuclear power. That is it. We thought our lot would have changed with you but seeing you reason in this way, then there is no hope. It means we will still be generating darkness till 2035 when you fashola would clocking 70 and closer to death. Why not sponsor Nigerians on the solar power which is more clean, cheap and less expensive? In a corrupt system , simple things are done in a complicated way. If you insist on nuclear plant then be ready to site it closer to your house.
Oh Dear!!!! This is mind-bugging! Thanks all the same.
Fshiola is behaving like an illiterate in this subject and I have little doubt that he isn’t one. Professor Evwaraye told us in 1985 in the lecture hall that he asked the supreme military council then how long it will take Nigeria to evacuate the residents of Agegunle in Lagos if there was a leakage of nuclear fuels as it happened in Chenubi in the then USSR, nobody could speak a word. Sophisticated and organized countries like Germany are standing down emphasis on this technology but a lawyer that claimed ignorance on the cost of renewing his personal website after spending over N80Million from public fund is spewing garbage. What a country?
What engineering idea do you expect a lawyer? Surely he cannot bring any fundamental idea to the power sector. Period!
All of you here sound like broken records.
I mean, how can you guys expect better ideas and miracles from a man who couldn’t change Lagos state, with all the funds available in the said state.
#29b monthly accrued from IGR, yet Ikeja the capital of Lagos is a mess, Egbeda is a no-go area, Alagbado nkò? Dead zone, what about Epe, forgotten, Ikorodu, abandoned, V.I and Ikoyi nkò? The most expensive ‘slum’ in the world. Yet the government saw it fit to hand him everything that has to do with the infra structural background of the nation.
What else do you all expect, miracles?
At a time like this when Japan has not yet survived Fukushima, a time Germany with all its technology and awareness are stepping down on anything Nuclear, Fashola is talking about Nuclear Power In Obodo Nigeria.
Oga Fashola, it’s obvious you are in a state of not knowing what to do, but start by servicing all the power plants built by Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
An admission of failure, now he is projecting nuclear power in 2035, at this time he will be either dead or will be the oldest man living on earth. 419 minister. You wanted power, here is power. Buhari and all his ministers should resign, he has failed in every subject
FASHOLAAAAA, 2035? IT IS A COLOSSAL FAILURE………No light tomorrow, and you are talking about 2035, and; by nuclear technology!!!! Our leaders MUST Stop talking like this, it does NOT make COMMON SENSE. FIX THE LIGHT OR RESIGN HONORABLY, so we can have light tomorrow and next week and next month etc. Do you have a Problem with that?
These is pure madness and pure stupidity. For a government that can’t even maintain simple road to be looking into nuclear energy is just madness and a death wish for Nigeria. The amount of regulation, maintenance and monitoring that is needed to have this kind of energy is beyond Nigeria. look at all the developed countries that have massive regulation, massive processes and procedure, massive investment and great maintenance culture. They still have major problem. Nigeria doesn’t need this, we have massive amount of gas, coal, perfect sun, wind and even massive waste that could be used to generate energy. THIS IS WORST IDEA BY ANY NIGERIA GOVERNMENT.
Nigerians must protest against this. This is a major death wish going to happen and a complete waste of fund. we don’t need this kind of energy, look at what happened in developed country that are better managed and better funded. This is madness from this minister who has proved to not know anything. we can’t even supply gas to our gas powered plant, not to mention dealing with nuclear energy. MADNESS
The minister must say something. Let’s waste the little at hand by diverting them to overseas foreign banks. No one talks about the scientific and engineering capabilities of the nation. Nigeria has before worked with France on this area and it yielded nothing only for billions of dollar to thrown away.
If ever there was a square peg minister in a round hole ministry, this is it. Fashola is not known for anything useful or productive from deportation of destitute to a website costing over N200 million of his Lagos taxpayers’ money.
Terrible. Is this the same Fashola that was Governor of Lagos State? The same Fashola that improved Lagos, at least to have a semblance of a mega city. He has completely disappointed me with this his presentation. There are basic issues to be sorted out NOOOOOOOOW! Oga Fashola, Nigeria is in crisis. Why do you guys talk as if all is well with us? Here is another Kachikwu talking. Because you guys are well fed and you do not struggle for fuel, you have electricity supply 365(6)/24/7, you can jump into any airline of your choice first class and travel with your family to any part of the world at will, eat any type of food and check your blood pressure or if you have fever in any hospital in the universe, you forget about the real world. Handle lesser problems bedeviling us here in Nigeria before going to the moon and sun. With the kind of problems we are facing as masses, 2035 is a wicked tall order. Think, Fashola and other leaders, please think.
We will review and take appropriate action.