Vice-President Kashim Shettima has said that Nigeria has no ‘business’ in pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities, stressing the nation’s commitment to peace, global safety, and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).

Shettima gave this assurance on Monday during a courtesy visit by the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), Dr. Robert Floyd, to the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The Vice-President emphasized that Nigeria’s focus is on addressing the more pressing challenges of poverty and the climate crisis facing the African continent.

“The outcome of any nuclear conflict is never a win-win situation; it is always the opposite,” Shettima said.

“We are fighting poverty; we are fighting a war against the relationship between the economy and ecology in sub-Saharan Africa. We have no business dabbling in anything that has to do with nuclear weapons.”

He reiterated Nigeria’s full commitment to the comprehensive nuclear test ban and commended the CTBTO for its vigilance and contributions to global stability.

“I want to appreciate your organisation for the extra vigilance you have taken, having 337 stations spread across the world. All seven tests conducted by DPR Korea were detected,” he said, adding that CTBTO’s monitoring also serves civilian purposes such as detecting tsunamis and seismic activity.

In response, Dr. Floyd praised Nigeria’s consistent support for the CTBT and lauded the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for contributing to international efforts to reduce nuclear testing and promote global norms against it.

Describing Nigeria as a “natural partner,” Floyd noted the valuable input from national agencies like the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA).

He also commended Nigeria’s technical contributions, particularly data generation used in early warnings for natural disasters and ecological protection.

The Acting Chairman of NAEC, Anthony Ekedegwa, highlighted the agency’s ongoing collaboration with CTBTO, which has helped build technical capacity and strengthen nuclear monitoring systems in the country.

Similarly, the Director-General of the NNRA, Dr. Yau Idris, reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to international protocols, noting that Nigeria remains actively involved in efforts to ensure global compliance with nuclear test bans.