As Nigeria battles the challenge of providing stable power, the Federal Government has again spoken of the nation’s plan to deploy nuclear technology for production of sustainable and reliable electricity.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu stated this wwhen he received the top management of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (TRANSCORP) Plc led by its managing director, Mr. Peter Ikenga, who paid him a courtesy call in his office in Abuja.
He said the deployment and peaceful use of nuclear power technology would improve the production of electricity and provide sustainable and reliable electricity that would not be affected by environmental conditions.
“The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to achieve rapid industrialisation for the country in a sustainable and irreversible manner,” he said.
Onu highlighted the role of Executive Order 5, which promotes Nigerian professionals and emphasises the role of STI and promotes the development of indigenous technology, even as he urged the organised private sector (OPS) to domesticate critical technology used in the country in order to achieve rapid industrialisation.
According to him, the Executive Order 5 is critical to Nigeria’s development, as the government wants to domesticate all foreign technologies used in Nigeria.
He expressed optimism that Nigerian firms and experts would fully grasp the technologies such as nuclear power and other alternative sources of renewable energy and be able to export the expertise abroad, thereby earning additional foreign exchange for the country.
Saying the OPS are vital in the development of Nigeria, the minister added that TRANSCORP would be a reliable partner in maintaining and developing alternative power plants and sources in the country.
Earlier, Ikenga said his company wanted to leapfrog the transmission of sustainable and alternative sources of electricity around the country, pointing out that over 40 per cent of the country lacked energy penetration and his company wanted to achieve energy penetration to all parts of the country.
