Nigeria rejects nuclear deterrence, demands total elimination of atomic weapons
Nigeria has called for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, warning that humanity cannot continue relying on weapons capable of destroying civilisation for collective security.
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amb. Jimoh Ibrahim, made the call on Tuesday at a high-level UN meeting on nuclear disarmament in New York.
The meeting commemorated the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons during the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly.
Jimoh said Nigeria firmly believed that the only absolute guarantee against the use or threat of nuclear weapons was their complete elimination.
He said thousands of nuclear warheads remained in existence while nuclear-weapon States continued modernisation programmes amid rising geopolitical tensions and growing pressure on global arms-control arrangements.
“Nigeria firmly believes that the only absolute guarantee against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is their total elimination,” Jimoh said.
The envoy declared that Nigeria neither possessed nuclear weapons nor considered them necessary for its national security.
“Nigeria does not possess nuclear weapons, has never pursued a nuclear-weapons programme and has no intention of doing so. Our security does not depend on nuclear weapons,” he said.
According to him, enduring global security should instead be anchored on dialogue, international law, multilateral cooperation and the equal security of all countries.
Jimoh said President Bola Tinubu’s administration remained committed to international efforts aimed at achieving a world free of nuclear weapons.
“President Tinubu has consistently affirmed Nigeria’s readiness to work with the international community in advancing nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation,” he said.
He added that Nigeria envisaged “a world in which no nation needs to rely on nuclear weapons for its security.”
The Nigerian representative consequently urged nuclear-weapon States to honour their disarmament obligations under Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
He also called on them to fulfil longstanding commitments toward the irreversible, transparent and verifiable elimination of their nuclear arsenals.
“The continued modernisation of nuclear weapons and reliance on nuclear deterrence only heighten the risks of miscalculation, escalation and catastrophic humanitarian consequences,” he said.
The ambassador reaffirmed Nigeria’s strong commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a cornerstone of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.
He said Nigeria encouraged countries yet to join the prohibition treaty to consider doing so as part of collective efforts toward eliminating nuclear weapons.
Jimoh highlighted Africa’s experience under the Treaty of Pelindaba, which established the continent as a nuclear-weapon-free zone.
“Africa has already demonstrated what is possible through the Treaty of Pelindaba.
“Nigeria remains proud of Africa’s contribution to global nuclear disarmament and supports the establishment and strengthening of nuclear-weapon-free zones in other regions.”
While advocating nuclear disarmament, Jimoh stressed that Nigeria supported the right of countries to develop and use nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes.
He said such peaceful applications should comply with international obligations and contribute to healthcare, agriculture, energy, water management and sustainable development.
“The choice before us is clear. Our collective security cannot continue to depend on weapons capable of destroying humanity,” he said.
He pledged Nigeria’s continued engagement with other UN Member States to advance practical, inclusive and verifiable multilateral measures toward complete nuclear disarmament.
“Nigeria, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will continue to work with all Member States” toward achieving “a safer, more peaceful and nuclear-weapons-free world,” Ibrahim said.
The International Day seeks to mobilise global action and public awareness about the threat nuclear weapons pose to humanity and the necessity of their total elimination.