The Federal Government through the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) has selected Geregu in Kogi State and Itu in Akwa Ibom State as the sites for building two nuclear power plants in Nigeria that could generate up to 2,400 megawatts (mw) at both sites.

In a presentation yesterday at the plenary of the Phase 2 Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission in Abuja, NAEC Chairman, Mr. Erepamo Osaisai, said part of its progress is the concluded preliminary site selection activities and “detailed evaluation and characterization to be conducted on preferred sites on the approval of government in Geregu, Ajaokuta Local Government Area of kogi State and Itu in Itu LGA of Akwa Ibom State.”

Daily Trust had reported in April that NAEC was holding talks with Russia’s Rosatom Corporation to build four nuclear power plants costing about $20 billion (about N3.9 trillion) which would generate 4,800 megawatts (mw).

Erepamo said the plants will be co-financed by Rosatom, which will then build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) them to the government. He noted that the preliminary licensing of the approved sites is expected by the end of 2016 from the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) which is currently developing the licences’ procedures.

The commission said training and capacity building for building and operating the plants are ongoing while it has developed a framework to establish a ‘National Nuclear Insurance Policy and Scheme’ to “adequately address the civil liability of component for the Nuclear Power industry in conformity with the 1963 Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage.”

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Dr. Godknows Igali, said government’s intervention in the power sector includes the diversification of the electricity sources from the present 80 percent gas and 20 percent hydro to integrate nuclear power to meet its target of generating 20,000 megawatts (mw) by year 2020.

“With NAEC’s plan to inject 1,200mw from first nuclear power plant in 2025 and increase to 4,800mw in 2035, the energy mix is expected to have increased to about 20 percent power generation from clean sources,” Igali said.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Dr Mikhail Chudakov, who led the agency’s delegation on a two-week trip to Nigeria, said Nigeria should be prepared to take adequate responsibility for the safety culture and for safe operation of a nuclear power in the country.

hypertension:
buhari is a thief
osibanjo is handicapp
saraki is a known criminal
ike ekweremadu is a known pdp member

ben bruce is now dumb..
this apc/pdp bigots would want to fight for their party..yet..they are all united against the national cake..

vanunu:
Buhari should stop this ruffplay, when other countries ara moving away from nuclear power, he wants to build one. He should site it in daura.

GogetterMD:
Issues
1- is it just a Nigerian situation or why are all contracts in Nigeria overly inflated? $20billion USD for just 4800 MW of electricity?
2- I am afraid for Maintenance culture here. Nigerians can know how to vandalize and steal anything, electricity cables, transformer parts, blow up gas pipelines etc. Their ignorance won't make them realise the importance of staying away from a nuclear power plant. Even Japan is shutting down all her nuclear reactors after the calamity that came last decade

gbl01:
Nigeria is known for lack if maintenance strategy, how will they maintain this facility? Consisting the risk posed by it to the society

PRYCE:
I just hope our scientists would be able to maintain those fragile reactors else it'll be a case of Jobs created but leased to foreign Vultures!

GogetterMD:
Issues
1- is it just a Nigerian situation or why are all contracts in Nigeria overly inflated? $20billion USD for just 4800 MW of electricity?
2- I am afraid for Maintenance culture here. Nigerians can know how to vandalize and steal anything, electricity cables, transformer parts, blow up gas pipelines etc. Their ignorance won't make them realise the importance of staying away from a nuclear power plant. Even Japan is shutting down all her nuclear reactors after the calamity that came last decade

vanunu:
Buhari should stop this ruffplay, when other countries ara moving away from nuclear power, he wants to build one. He should site it in daura.

Jorussia:
Igali should just go and sit down jare,$20b for less than 5000mw of electricity?I know that when pmb settles down in office, this will be one of the power projects that will be scrapped.

Jorussia:
This is not a project from PmB,it is actually from GEJ.Igali is just trying to show himself.

BuddahMonk:
I hope Geregu is not close to Igboland because we will not allow that to happen in Akwa Ibom State also.
When the want to site WMD they will locate close to Igboland.

heatflux:
Nuclear?? No problem. Hope they have also planned how to dispose the nuclear toxic waste too? If not..... those chosen sites.....hmmm

MINISTER2000:
$20b to generate jst 4.8MW is outrageous and a complete rip off! why can't we have more hydropower dams which r cheaper, safer n hv more advantages. Nuclear plant is a disaster in wainting n that is why even developed nations r some hw considering other options.

givan:
Please this project shouldn't be sited anywhere 1000 nautical miles away from the east. Itu isn't a good choice. Mr Buhari please site your Nuclear project either around the Saraha states or 1000 nautical mile into the Atlantic.
#LessonsFromJapan
#ProudlyAnambay

owobokiri:
This is costly compared to the cost of biulding such elsewhere. . By the time we are through with biulding power stations in this country, we would have spent over 100 billion dollars to generate 4000 megawatts of power.

AgreatMan:
I hate nuclear plants, nigeria is too reckless for such ventures.
we shd emulate our sister, president merkel of West Ger-ma-ni who is decommissioning all her nuclear plants.
btw, $20B for 5000mw and we have to till 2035. These russians must be high on vodka that is mixed with ondo ogogoro.

homerac7:
Aaaargh! Too much ignorance here !



Read again, it is a BOOT arrangement, meaning it will be built , owned, operated by the Russians before being transferred to Nigeria after a stipulated period.


Scientists don't maintain plants, technicians[b][/b] do.