As far back as 2014, the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission revealed that plans were under way to give Nigeria a nuclear plant by 2022.
2-years after that first announcement, it looks like the agency is still going ahead with is plans to build nuclear reactors in the country in order to boost the nations epileptic power supply, as an intergovernmental agreement was signed between Russia and Nigeria with the aim of constructing a centre for nuclear science in the country, recently.
The agreement was signed at the Atomexpo 2016 forum in Moscow by Sergey Kirienko, the general director of Russia’s state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom and Franklin Osaisai, chairman of the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission. As part of the agreement, a 10-megawatt (MW) water cooled research reactor would be constructed at the center and the nuclear plant is expected to be operational in 2025.
This doesn’t sound like a good idea
Considering our lack lustre attitude towards maintenance, building even one nuclear reactor in Nigeria feels to me like calling for trouble. The risks associated with nuclear power generation are immense and as such building and maintain such reactors requires strict adherence to standards and various operating procedures – something that Nigeria doesn’t do well.
But then again, 2025 is about a decade away, so it’s actually possible for us to build enough systems in place to make sure generating nuclear power in our country is properly managed. But even then, I’d say we must tread with caution. Even the waste produced from nuclear reactors, if not disposed properly would cause serious health and environmental damages as they are radioactive and as such extremely hazardous.
Lets just see how things pan out in coming years.