The Minster of Power, Works and Housing, Mr
Babatunde Fashola, who made this known at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Forum in Abuja, said Nigeria The Federal Government is set to commence the production of nuclear energy and had secured the necessary certification from the
International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA).
Fashola said: “`This thing has protocols
and standards; we are already in it; we are not venturing into it; we started a
nuclear programme 17 years ago.
“We have gone through the training level;
we have produced 25 graduates of master’s level under certification by the
International Atomic Energy Agency.
“We have found the sites; the sites have
been approved, two sites have been approved by International Atomic Energy
Agency.
“We have started the design for the
financing; that is the stage we are now; once we conclude that, we move to the
design for the construction.
“If all things go well, by quarter four of
next year – that is the schedule that I met – we should have started
construction, so that is what I meet.
“Fashola said it was important for Nigeria
to focus on the gains and safety of nuclear energy as obtained in other
developed countries.
He said that since the whole world was
moving toward a cleaner fuel and the use of more sustainable form of energy,
Nigeria could be an exception.
He, however, said that the developed
countries could only share the technology with countries ready keep to the
standards in the utilisation of the technology.
The minister further said that diversifying
the nation’s energy mix would lead to the utilisation of the various forms of
renewable energy sources in the country.
This, according to him, will ultimately
make electricity cheap in the country.
“What we are thinking about is long-term
solution. We need a solution that will endure for generations to come.
“When you design a power solution, design
it so that the next coming gener
ations can use it.
He said the ministry and other agencies
under his supervision were working hard to ensure that Nigeria obtained the
best in the electricity industry through strict regulatory responsibilities.
On the monthly meeting with stakeholders in
the industry, Fashola said it was designed to evolve better ways of managing
the industry, adding that it was yielding the desired results.
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