Nigeria has called for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, saying global security should not depend on weapons capable of causing catastrophic destruction.
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, made the call on Tuesday at a high-level UN meeting in New York to mark the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons during the 81st UN General Assembly. Ibrahim said Nigeria does not possess or intend to develop nuclear weapons, stressing that the country’s security does not depend on them.
He said thousands of nuclear warheads remain in existence while nuclear-armed states continue to modernise their arsenals amid rising geopolitical tensions. Ibrahim urged those states to meet their disarmament obligations under Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and work toward the irreversible, transparent and verifiable elimination of their nuclear arsenals.
The ambassador reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and supported efforts to establish more nuclear-weapon-free zones. He also pointed to Africa’s Treaty of Pelindaba, which established the continent as a nuclear-weapon-free zone.
Ibrahim said Nigeria supports the peaceful use of nuclear science and technology in areas including healthcare, agriculture, energy, water management and sustainable development, provided such activities comply with international obligations. He pledged Nigeria’s continued cooperation with UN member states toward achieving a safer and nuclear-weapons-free world.
Source: Vanguard
