Nigeria Rules Out Nuclear Weapons Program, Focuses on Poverty and Climate Change
By Anthony Toruka
NEW YORK — Nigeria has firmly rejected any ambition to pursue nuclear weapons, doubling down on its commitment to address pressing challenges like poverty, climate change, and terrorism. This position was reiterated by President Muhammadu Buhari’s national statement and echoed by Defence Minister Badaru at separate high-level UN events (The Gazette, Ministry of Defence).
“Expending further resources on nuclear weapons stockpiling and maintenance makes no sense.”
— President Buhari’s NSA statement (July 1, 2025)
At the UN General Assembly, Minister of Defence Mohammed Badaru Abubakar reaffirmed Nigeria’s support for global disarmament treaties and emphasized that nuclear weapons “pose a significant threat to international peace and humanity.” He stressed that Nigeria’s focus remains on sustainable development and peaceful applications of nuclear energy (Ministry of Defence, The Nation).
Nigeria remains an early signatory and ratifier of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), and consistently advocates for universal participation. It reaffirmed its pledge not to develop or host nuclear weapons in any form and called on other nations to follow suit (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons).
Instead of diverting resources into arms buildup, Nigeria is actively reallocating focus and funding to tackle mounting issues at home:
- ⛅ Climate Crisis: Implementing the Climate Change Act (2021), aiming for net-zero emissions by 2060, supporting the revitalization of Lake Chad, and expanding renewable energy efforts (Wikipedia, Daily Times).
- 🌱 Poverty and Food Security: Scaling up sustainable agriculture, reducing vulnerability to climate shocks, and aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (Wikipedia, Wikipedia).
- 🛡️ Terrorism and Insurgency: Responding to Boko Haram and banditry with rehabilitation programs in the North-East driven by the NEDC and UN collaborations (Daily Times, State House).
Human rights advocates argue this reallocation of funds is vital. As one NGO executive observed, “Investing in human welfare and climate adaptation directly impacts millions—far more than any nuclear arsenal ever could.”
Sources: The Gazette, Nigerian Ministry of Defence, State House, ICAN, Wikipedia, Daily Times, The Nation
