From Charity Nwakaudu Abuja
Nigeria’s Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, says that the country should exploit to the maximum the full benefits of peaceful nuclear energy.
Onu made the call when he declared open the Nigeria Energy Calculator 2050 (NECAL2050) stakeholders engagement in Abuja on Thursday.
The minister said that when Nigeria peacefully maximises nuclear energy, it would help build a stable power supply base and would benefit medicine, agriculture, education, manufacturing and overall national economic growth.
The Nigeria Energy calculator 2050 is an energy planning model which will offer choices in energy development to be examined alongside its environmental consequences.
On safety concerns on the use of nuclear energy, the minister called on the active participation of the organised private sector (OPS) to research and develop nuclear technology for the benefit of country.
He also called on Nigeria to partner with other countries willing to help in the development of necessary expertise in nuclear technology.
The minister called for efficient and effective use of energy resources to guarantee rapid national industrialisation.
Nigeria has enormous energy resources, therefore, the task facing us is to efficiently and effectively utilise these resources to guarantee rapid industrialisation of the nation,’ Onu said.
The minister emphasised that the country needs a development pathway that can help it achieve sustainable national development, adding that Nigeria’s factories, offices, laboratories, business and homes must have sufficient power to run them.
‘I am optimistic that our dear nation will pursue the right combination of different sources of energy, including renewable, fossil fuel as well as nuclear energy.’
The Director General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Prof Eli Jidere Bala, said the United Kingdom had partnered with the Commission to develop the Nigeria Energy Calculator 2050 (NECAL2050), which is a key energy planning tool.
He added that the Nigeria Energy Calculator 2050 (NECAL2050) will help promote global warming mitigation.