OIL POLITICS: Nigeria's Nuclear Nightmare

[kristopher]

OIL POLITICS: Nigeria's Nuclear Nightmare
By Nnimmo Bassey

September 22, 2011 03:54PMT

Following the Fukushima incident earlier this year the dangers associated with nuclear power generation have again been brought to the front burners. With heightened concerns about the safety of nuclear power plants, it is shocking to see the Nigerian President pushing Nigeria unto the nuclear path. This may appear like a dream come true for the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, but this has all the potential of turning into a nightmare for the country.

The Nigerian government appears to be scheming to get deeper into the nuclear mire at a time when the world is inching, albeit slowly, from dirty and dangerous energy sources. The fact that Nigeria has one of the worst electricity supplies in the world, with only about 40% of the population having access to public power supply does not justify toeing the nuclear path. It calls for investing in safe forms of renewable energy production. It also calls for the wastage in the gas and oil fields.

Having promised to overcome the electricity poverty in Nigeria, the president focus appears to have been captured by nuclear hawks and hawkers. While recently speaking to the Atomic Energy Commission, the president stated, "We all know the importance of atomic energy. We have plans to generate power from atomic energy and we must pursue it seriously." He them charged the agency "to come up with time-lines for the delivery of atomic energy to our people" and assured that the resources needed for the task will be not be a problem.

The problem is that apart from the vagaries of nuclear power plant construction, running and decommissioning, the Nigerian context raises unusual risks that should not permit anyone to bring this on at all.

A good lesson can be learned from Germany ...

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Opinion/Columns/5743271-182/oil_politics_nigerias_nuclear_nightmare.csp