By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Nigeria has lent its support to a campaign promoting a nuclear weapon-free Africa, a position advanced by the country’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar Badaru, at the ongoing United Nations General Assembly 79, in New York, USA.
“Africa as a nuclear weapon-free zone is a gift to ourselves and our unborn generation,” the Minister was quoted as saying, in demonstration of support to the Treaty of Pelindaba.
Heritage Times HT reports that the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty, is also known as the “Pelindaba Treaty”.
It established the nuclear-weapon-free zone on the African continent. It opened for signature on 12 April 1996 in Cairo, Egypt and entered into effect on 15 July 2009.
The African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty prohibits the research, development, manufacture, stockpiling, acquisition, testing, possession, control or stationing of nuclear weapons, as well as the dumping of radioactive wastes.
Reiterating Nigeria’s commitment to the Treaty, the Director Information and Public Relations of the Ministry of Defence, Henshaw Ogubike, disclosed that the Minister during a high-level meeting of the Launching of Friends of Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty hosted by Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida at the UNGA 79 stated that Nigeria and the entire African Continent shall remain committed to the Treaty of PELINDABA, declaring Africa as a Nuclear weapon free-zone.
According to the Minister, Nigeria is playing a leading advocacy role for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and said that Nigeria would continue to actively participate in initiatives to strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) regime and the proposed Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) aimed at prohibiting the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons and other explosive devices.
Badaru highlighted that strengthening NPT FMCT will enhance transparency and cooperation between nuclear and non-nuclear states that will enhance a peaceful nuclear energy.
While he called for support from the entire African continent to the Fissile Material cut off Treaty (FMCT) initiative, he appreciated all friends of FMCT and Civil Society organizations for their dedication and hard work towards the realization of this laudable enterprise.
