Nigeria’s first nuclear power plant ready in 10 years – NAEC

Nigerians clamouring for diversified sources of energy to
resolve the nation’s perennial electricity crisis will have to
wait till 2026 for first megawatts of electricity from the first
nuclear power plant to be constructed by National Atomic
Energy Commission.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Ambassador
Godknows Igali, and Chairman/CEO of NAEC, Dr. Erepamo
Osaisai, confirmed this in an interview with journalists at the
on-going Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review Mission in
Nigeria.
According to him, the first nuclear power plant will have the
capacity to produce 1,000MW. This, he added, would be
expanded to 4,000MW within 10 years of the establishment
of the first nuclear power plant.
Osaisai said the need for safety and security of power
infrastructure cannot be sacrificed at the altar of expediency
even though the nation requires urgent solution to its power
crisis.
He said, “Planning and implementing a nuclear power
programme takes time. When you consider the national
situation where we need significant amount of generation,
the timeframe for implementing a nuclear power programme
might appear like eternity but the key issue is that
implementing a nuclear power programme comes with a
large number of obligations.
“Nigeria is committed to ensuring that we are able to
maintain a strict regime of safety, security and safeguard.
That requires an emplacement of key infrastructure. It takes
time to develop it on the order of about 10 to 15 years even
for very developed countries.
“So it may appear we have been doing it for a long time but
we have just been meticulous, wanting to ensure that we are
able to do it right. That is why it appears to be taking time
but it has to be done right.”

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