Nigeria's Nuclear Power Plants Ambition: Imagine That!

Having read a lot in Nigerian and Foreign tabloids such as The Punch, The Guardian, daily mail, The Sun and Vanguard (to mention but a few) on Nigeria’s nuclear ambition in an attempt to solve its power (electricity) supply problems in recent days, I felt the need to write this article in such a way that the attention of my fellow Nigerians (both at home and abroad) could be called to the fact that while such a move (which I definitely subscribe to) may help in putting permanent end to our (the nation’s) never ending power failure and /or epileptic power supply (as Nigerians prefer to call it) issues, there are also a lot of negative implications that can emerge from it.

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John Daly (13th of April, 2014) in The Sun newspaper wrote extensively on Nigeria’s ambitious plan to have her first nuclear power plant and this is deservedly so. Nigeria is after all the ‘giant of Africa’ and there is no reason why a giant should not be ready to take a giant step to solve one of its chronic problems in order for it to be able to take more productive giant strides in the 21st Century. However, I think there is definitely a note of caution.

Repeating one of the points raised by Mr Daly (to start with), it was said that the US government has identified Nigeria has one of the lowest net electricity generation per capital rates in the whole world. For me, this is an enough reason for Nigeria to nurse an ambition to go nuclear in order for her to meet her power (generation) demands so as to bring the nation up to the 21st Century level both agriculturally, socially, business –wise, education - wise etc., since everything done in the 21st Century can be traced back either directly or indirectly to stable power supply.

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I also found out that it has been documented that Nigeria as a nation started her nuclear program in 1976 but her civilian nuclear energy desires were not nursed until 2007 when it was decided under President U. Yar’Adua that it was about time the nation ended her epileptic power supply issues by adding nuclear power sources to the existing contributory sources to its National grid.   To every well-wishing and concerned Nigerians as well as many Nigerians whose thinking caps are permanently on their heads, this is a development that should be welcomed in all quarters but cautiously so. 

To start with, this article is not meant to ridicule or belittle Nigeria’s nuclear ambition in any shape or form, on the contrary, it is meant to call our attention to the fact that while having nuclear plants in the country will definitely go a long way in creating jobs and permanent solution to our power (supply) problems and also possibly kick-start a massive industrial revolution (first of its kind in Africa in the 21st Century), we cannot afford to be ignorant of the various untold disasters that our lack of maintenance culture (both as a nation and a nation of brown – skinned people) can bring upon our people, our children (those yet unborn) and our land at large.

Having read various articles, watch various documentaries and listened to nuclear engineers from around the world, although nuclear plants as source of electricity can be very expensive at first, but over the years with adequate and uncompromising maintenance, power generated through nuclear plants can be the most cost effect, most reliable and the least problematic of all sources.  It can also arguably be said to be the cleanest source of energy.  However, these do not come without a good maintenance culture.  This is because when it comes to nuclear power plants, with or without adequate maintenance culture, the stakes are very high and they only become higher when there are questions on issues regarding maintenance and any simple failure can become very disastrous indeed.  This is why even a simple and uncomplicated nuclear power plant disaster in Nigeria will mean that the stakes will become very high, properties destroyed, life lost in thousand or possibly million (counts) and the devastations caused will be perpetual should will bring our lack of maintenance culture into our nuclear power plant plans.

I only took it upon myself to write this piece of article after watching 4 separate documentaries on nuclear power plant disasters in Russia (some decades ago) and in Japan (in recent years).  Let us assume that the Russian nuclear plant disaster (in Chernobyl) was as a result of inadequate technical know-how / unavoidable human errors, I am sure that same cannot be said of the nuclear plant disaster in Japan. This is because in recent years (especially in the 21st Century), while Technological Advancement (TA) has become Japan’s second name as a nation, Total Quality Management (TQM) is synonymously her middle name, so, if despite all these Japan could still witness a disastrous nuclear power plant incidence, then the likelihood of such happening in Nigeria (where according to Nigerians, ‘everything goes’) is very high indeed.  

Apart from the rigorous work that goes into the planning / siting (e.g. feasibility studies) and eventually building nuclear plants, they (nuclear plants) do come with extensive maintenance manuals and once the maintenance hints and procedures there in are followed to-the-letters regularly (i.e. no cutting corners), nuclear power plants can be one of the safest (if not the safest) source of green power supply.  However, just as noted earlier on, the question is if Nigeria (and most of the other developing nations of the world) will have the patience and discipline to be able to repeat this mantra of maintenance and more maintenance attached to having and running nuclear power plants from the day they are commissioned to the very day they are de-commissioned. 

If we are to be frank with ourselves, it might be possible or even easy for us to keep these power plants maintained to the best standard at first but what happens when our old habits of being laidback, nonchalant and reckless kick-in? I mean, what happens when a new political party with less aptitude comes to power and  sees nothing good in the projects (such as these nuclear power plants) started by the previous government or political party?  What happens when our politicians begin to allow tribalism and/or nepotism rather than ‘the best/right people for the job’ veil their sense of judgement and decision –making?  What happens when the ‘oga’ in-charge of running these nuclear plants begins to allocate officials cars to each and every one of his many wives and concubines (like some of our recent outgoing state governors have been discovered to be doing) resulting in depleting resources for the effective running of those plants?  What happens when the same ‘oga at the top’ of the nuclear plants running decides that there is no need to renew the nuclear reactors as budgeted since they are still ‘manageable’ and thus embezzles those funds meant for them?  What happens when all these and others begin to affect the day-to-day running of those nuclear plants?  Then that will really be the beginning of the end for Nigeria as a nation and those Nigerians with no Europe, Americas or Asia to run to.  I pray this will not be our portion.

While I hold on to this prayer (i.e. above), imagine the chain of disastrous reactions this will cause.  Imagine the fact that our environmental protection agencies are almost none existing in the first place (with little or no tangible budgets to implement any serious first remedial or management actions in cases of national environmental disasters).  It is bad enough that more than 30 years on, they are still not well equipped to tackle oil spillage in the NigerDelta areas or prevent flooding and gully erosions in about 30 of the 36 states that are in the country.  Imagine what substandard education and low level of understanding of issues regarding nuclear power plants and nuclear disasters amongst many Nigerians will result to!  Imagine baba Sikira, Alhaji Tajudeen, Mr Okoro, Mr Dele, Pastor K and Uncle Akpan seeing no reasons why they should still be prevented from accessing their own farms, fishing lakes (and ponds) that are just few hundred metres away from the location of the nuclear disaster/incidence after a few weeks or months.  Imagine the dubious ‘’omo-on’iles’’ trying to take advantage of the fact that most lands near the nuclear disaster zones have been temporarily disserted until further notice by taking gullible or unsuspecting Nigerians to those areas after few months since the incidence and beginning to sell and re-sell those lands to them plot- by -plot in order to out-smart the original owners.    Imagine contaminated fishes caught from the lakes and ponds within the vicinity of the nuclear disaster being sold on to unsuspecting Nigerians as well-fed or imported ones.  Imagine the slow and unprofessional response of our medical doctors and other health professionals in our under-staffed and ill-equipped private and public hospitals and clinics.  Imagine our politicians (e.g. law-makers in both houses just as we have witnessed on several occasions and recently) fighting each other on where to get the money for the first quick response from (i.e. first containment response) after they have completely looted national treasury in the process of awarding themselves jumbo pays/ packages all in the name of serving the nation.  Imagine some of our (fake) Pastors, Imams, soothsayers, marabouts and Prophets encouraging their followers in affected areas to take the steps of faith by going back to the affected areas to live even before the government declares them free of contaminations.  Imagine lawless groups such as Boko Haram being able to gain access into such sites and detonating just one bomb at a time.

I think the point has being made.  I am just simply saying that there is a need for our leaders to seriously weigh the merits and demerits of having nuclear power plants and that special attention should be paid to areas involving maintenance requirements attached to having them.  Lastly, I also think this also calls for the leaders of those communities where the nuclear power plants are intended to be built to begin to take pro-active steps, ask questions, remove their doubts, have contingency plans or ‘just –in case’ plans and be full of ears because……well, this is Nigeria and if you don’t look after yourself and your environment, no one possibly will.

Please try and imagine this scenario just as I have and you might also conclude that the outlook could be said to be indeed a mixture of abundant blessings and the possibility of a curse resulting in the beginning of the end for Nigeria as we know it should we fail.

Dr. Francis-A.A. Freeman,

Based in the UK, USA, Nigeria and Canada.

[email protected]

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