Nigeria has called for the total elimination of nuclear weapons, warning that global security cannot continue to depend on weapons capable of destroying civilization.
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amb. Jimoh Ibrahim, made the call on Tuesday at a high-level UN meeting on nuclear disarmament in New York.
The meeting was held to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons during the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly.
Ibrahim said Nigeria believed that the complete elimination of nuclear weapons remained the only absolute guarantee against their use or threat of use.
He expressed concern that thousands of nuclear warheads remained in existence, while nuclear-weapon States continued to modernize their arsenals amid rising geopolitical tensions and growing pressure on global arms-control frameworks.
“Nigeria firmly believes that the only absolute guarantee against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is their total elimination,” Ibrahim said.
The ambassador said Nigeria neither possessed nuclear weapons nor considered them necessary for its national security.
“Nigeria does not possess nuclear weapons, has never pursued a nuclear-weapons program and has no intention of doing so. Our security does not depend on nuclear weapons,” he said.
According to him, sustainable global security should instead be built around dialogue, international law, multilateral cooperation and the equal security of all nations.
Ibrahim said the administration of President Bola Tinubu remained committed to international efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.
“President Tinubu has consistently affirmed Nigeria’s readiness to work with the international community in advancing nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation,” he said.
He added that Nigeria envisioned “a world in which no nation needs to rely on nuclear weapons for its security.”
The envoy urged nuclear-weapon States to fulfill their disarmament obligations under Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
He also called for the fulfillment of longstanding commitments towards the irreversible, transparent and verifiable elimination of nuclear arsenals.
“The continued modernization of nuclear weapons and reliance on nuclear deterrence only heighten the risks of miscalculation, escalation and catastrophic humanitarian consequences,” he said.
Ibrahim reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, describing it as a cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime.
He also encouraged countries that had yet to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to consider doing so as part of collective efforts towards nuclear disarmament.
The Nigerian representative cited Africa’s experience under the Treaty of Pelindaba, which established the continent as a nuclear-weapon-free zone.
“Africa has already demonstrated what is possible through the Treaty of Pelindaba.
“Nigeria remains proud of Africa’s contribution to global nuclear disarmament and supports the establishment and strengthening of nuclear-weapon-free zones in other regions.”
While advocating nuclear disarmament, Ibrahim stressed that Nigeria supported the right of countries to develop and use nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes.
He said such applications should comply with international obligations and contribute to healthcare, agriculture, energy, water management and sustainable development.
“The choice before us is clear. Our collective security cannot continue to depend on weapons capable of destroying humanity,” he said.
Ibrahim pledged Nigeria’s continued engagement with UN Member States to promote practical, inclusive and verifiable multilateral measures towards complete nuclear disarmament.
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“Nigeria, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will continue to work with all Member States” towards achieving “a safer, more peaceful and nuclear-weapons-free world,” he said.
The International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is observed to mobilize global action and raise public awareness about the threat nuclear weapons pose to humanity and the need for their complete elimination.
