FG Opposes Centralisation of Nuclear Power Plants, Wants Governors’ Buy-in

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The federal government has kicked against the centralisation of nuclear power plants as a source of electricity in the country, urging Nigerian governors to take advantage of the Electricity Act and invest in the renewable energy source.

Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, who spoke in Abuja when the acting Chairman of the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC), Anthony Ekedewa, visited him in his office, however stated that nuclear power remains the energy of the future.

A statement by the minister’s spokesman, Bolaji Tunji, said the meeting was part of the efforts towards expanding the scope of electricity supply to Nigerians, to ensure the increase in power generation and make supply more stable, effective, and reliable.

Adelabu advised against the proposed establishment of four power plants with a capacity to generate 1,200mw each by the NAEC, maintaining that modular nuclear reactors are the way to go, especially with the way the government has decentralised the sector.

Besides, Adelabu said the collaboration would boost power generation and stabilise the power sector as part of the reforms being undertaken in the sector.

As an advanced source of power generation, the minister said the country would benefit significantly from a nuclear power plant,  especially with the technology that will come in, since it will make power generation less cumbersome.

He said the participation of the commission in the power sector was long overdue and promised to work with the agency to improve upon what currently obtains in the sector.

“This is an area that states can benefit from.  A lot of investment has gone into the development of the commission over the years and Nigeria should start reaping from the investment,” he added.

According to him, although the process is tedious and costly, the outcome is more beneficial to the country, adding that nuclear power plants are at an advanced stage of energy generation.

“I wish we were there already in this country, but we are not there yet. We should however ask ourselves,  how much of the conventional source of energy have we exploited? Nuclear power plants tend to be at the lower end of concern over the years, but we have to understand that nuclear energy is the future of energy generation,” he added.

Highlighting that not much had been done in areas of collaboration between the ministry and the commission, the minister called for the sustenance of the current relationship between both organisations.

“We have not been having this rapport in the past, but I’m happy we are starting from somewhere now and I believe that we will sustain it for the overall benefit of our country. This is an advanced level of energy generation,  but we must also embrace it because whatever that can add value to our power sector, we must embrace.

“As we all know, leaders would naturally want projects that would materialise in their time in office but any serious government will know that this is the future of the sector. Nuclear energy is the future of power generation.

“So  we must partner with you on how to improve the sector and this meeting is a right step in the right direction. We have formally established a relationship with you and we have so much to benefit from each other”, the minister said.

The minister  proposed  a workshop by both the ministry and the commission with other stakeholders in the power sector in attendance in order to brainstorm on how the collaboration can be better sustained and beneficial.

“As we all know, this is not a cheap thing but we can start with a workshop where experts from your side and our side will brainstorm and work out how we can further benefit from each other. We are reforming the power sector and this will be the most appropriate time for this kind of collaboration as states are now having their own power projects. This is certainly for the future of this country and it is important we make progress on it”, Adelabu said.

Earlier, Ekedawa intimated the minister with the activities of the commission, which he said was established in 1976 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo as a military head of state.

He said that as a renewable energy, nuclear energy could power the entire country, explaining that the commission was proposing the establishment of nuclear power plants with the capacity to generate about 1,200mw.

“We want to work and partner with you in the area of power generation.  We can be a base-load for the country and we have two possible sites, Geregu in Kogi State and Idu in Akwa Ibom State.

“We have carried out the feasibility studies. This collaboration is part of our energy policy, but we are however limited by resources to undertake this project”, Ekedewa said.

In the entourage of the acting chairman during the visit were Prof. Abdullahi Mati,  Awwal Bisallah, and  Justice Sule.