Nuclear Security Summit 2016 - My Advice to Buhari.
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The world leaders have, once again, converged for The 4th Nuclear Security Summit in Washington to discuss how to make tangible improvements in nuclear security behaviour, and how to strengthen the global nuclear security architecture. About 52 countries and 4 organisations are invited for this year Summit. The idea or purpose of inaugurating The Nuclear Security Summit derives it's origin from Mr Obama's speech at Prague in 2009, and subsequently, the first Inaugural Meeting was held in 2010 at Washington. The brain behind the summit is for the world leaders to address the challenge and risk of potential nuclear terrorism that might result from terrorist acts or terrorists having access to nuclear materials. In essence, the world should find a collective method of tracking, monitoring,detecting and preventing illicit trafficking in nuclear and other radioactive materials to ensure that they do not fall into the hands of unauthorized person or used for an unauthorized purpose. It is important to note that this challenge and risk is not restricted to nuclear power generation activities only as it includes and covers all nuclear and radioactive related activities like medical use, research use or industrial use.
Interestingly, our President is attending this year Summit. And according to Mr President's spokesman Mr Adesina. Mr Buhari will be attending this Summit and he intends to speak about Nigeria's right to harness Nuclear Energy. To be precise, below are the words of Mr Adesina as published by Punch News;
“The President will reaffirm Nigeria’s stance that international efforts to ensure greater security of nuclear materials should maintain a balance between nuclear non-proliferation obligations and the indisputable right of Nigeria and other countries to harness nuclear energy and technology for socio-economic development,”
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In my view, the president is not properly advised on what this Summit is all about. This Summit, though partly related to Non-proliferation matter, is not same. The summit focuses on nuclear materials and radioactive materials tracking and monitoring to prevent illicit smuggling or unauthorized access or unauthorized use. This summit is not organized under the Non-proliferation Treaty; Invitations are given to states who are not members of Non-proliferation Treaty (e.g. Pakistan) while some states who are members of Non-proliferation Treaty are not invited for this Summit (e.g Russia).
Therefore, it is my humble advice that a Summit like this is not where Mr President will like to go and start talking about having a right to harness Nuclear Energy and Technology, thus, consequentially and indirectly suggesting that some people are denying Nigeria that right. I have a feeling that most other leaders would see such speech as preposterous, unnecessary and out-of-topic-of-the-day. If Mr President is committed in utilizing the potentials of energy-mix which nuclear energy could offer to a country aspiring to be an industrialized country, then, he must learn how to play the international politics card. No doubt, every country have right to harness nuclear energy but subject to meeting her international obligations and having the necessary resources. In practice, aspiring nuclear-energy-country would have to depend on states like US, France, Russia, Japan, China etc. to build her first nuclear power plants while maintaining her cooperation with IAEA. Therefore, Mr President should trade cautiously on what he says because it might turn out counterproductive. When you create an impression that you are denied access to nuclear energy, it will be difficult or more expensive for you to approach the person you accused of to assist you to build nuclear energy. Nuclear energy unlike other energy sources is sensitive and demands understanding and grasp of the associated international politics involved before you could build your first nuclear power plant. Get the international politics wrong, you get ready to use Iranian method (which will not possible in Nigeria). Get the international politics right, you enjoy UAE method.
There is no doubt that every ambitious developing country like Nigeria will definitely need energy-mix with nuclear energy playing a major role in order to meet it's energy needs and trigger industrialization that will create jobs and economic growth.
The good news about nuclear-energy for Nigeria is that we are not in Earthquake-prone zone, nuclear fuels are readily available and cheap (unlike situations where gas power plants were built without feasibility of gas supply), new generation reactors are safer and nuclear power plant's capacity is fairly predictable, unlike hydro power plants (affected by water rate), wind turbine (not reliable), gas power plants (vandalism and lack of gas).
So, I advise Mr President to utilize this Summit opportunity productively by lobbying and speaking to influential leaders who matters in Nuclear Energy built and generation.
Anthony Adisianya
Nuclear Energy Lawyer
Writes from London
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