Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ABUJA1334
2005-07-21 16:31:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abuja
Cable title:  

NIGERIA TO ENACT PEACEFUL USE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY;

Tags:  ENRG KNNP TRGY PARM NI IAEA 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001334 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

PASS UNVIE VIENNA FOR LISA HILLARD AND ANNE STARZ
DOE PLS PASS TO NNSA - GREG DWYER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG KNNP TRGY PARM NI IAEA
SUBJECT: NIGERIA TO ENACT PEACEFUL USE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY;
IAEA SAYS IT WILL HELP BUILD UP TO EIGHT NUCLEAR REACTORS

REF: ABUJA 000570
(U)
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001334

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

PASS UNVIE VIENNA FOR LISA HILLARD AND ANNE STARZ
DOE PLS PASS TO NNSA - GREG DWYER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG KNNP TRGY PARM NI IAEA
SUBJECT: NIGERIA TO ENACT PEACEFUL USE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY;
IAEA SAYS IT WILL HELP BUILD UP TO EIGHT NUCLEAR REACTORS

REF: ABUJA 000570
(U) 1. This is an action request -- see paragraph 10.

(U) 2. Summary. Nigeria is now beginning to act on its
April 2003 policy decision to pursue the peaceful use of
nuclear power to generate electricity. The International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says it will assist the
Government of Nigeria (GON) in its program for Nigeria's
peaceful use of nuclear energy, and the IAEA recommends the
GON build five to eight nuclear power plants by 2030 to help
meet the country's electricity needs. End summary.

(U) 3. Nigeria is now beginning to act on its April 2003
policy decision to pursue the peaceful use of nuclear power
to generate electricity. On July 7, the acting economic
counselor and the embassy's economic officer met with two
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officials and two
Government of Nigeria (GON) officials concerning Nigeria's
intention to build five to eight nuclear power plants by

2030. The IAEA officials were Hans-Holger Rogner, head of
the planning and Economic Studies Section, Department of
Nuclear Energy; and Vincent Nkong-Njock, program management
officer for the Africa Section of the Department of
Technical Cooperation. A.O. Aliyu and I.H. Zarma, both of
the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN),also attended. The
IAEA met with embassy officers, and separately with the
French Embassy, at the GON's request.

(U) 4. These meetings took place, and the IAEA delegation
visited Nigeria, because the GON now has begun to implement
actively its new "National Energy Policy." According to
documentation, this policy dates back to April 2003, but the
GON announced the policy only in June 2005. That month,
President Olusegun Obasanjo, working with the ECN, launched
this energy policy, which had been in the works for more
than a decade and which states, "Policy: The nation shall
pursue the exploitation of nuclear power for peaceful
purposes."

(U) 5. During their meeting with embassy officers, the IAEA
officials discussed Nigeria's degree of cooperation to date
on nuclear issues, specifically the IAEA's recommendations

for improving security at two Nigerian nuclear facilities:
the Sheda Science and Technology Complex irradiation
facility, and the Zaria research nuclear reactor at the
Center for Energy Research and Training. The IAEA's Nkong-
Njock said Nigeria's current output of electric power is
between 4 and 6 megawatts but that this figure should be 10
times as high for a country of Nigeria's population. The
IAEA's Rogner noted that currently only 42 percent of
Nigerians have access to the country's electric-power grid.
He added that the electricity generated by Nigerians' home
diesel generators and businesses' generators equals that
produced by the country's electric-power network, and that
Nigerian industry is largely self-sufficient as an energy
producer.

(U) 6. According to Rogner, the GON hopes to have nuclear
reactors operating by 2015 but that this is unlikely to
happen. He said the IAEA's recommendation is that Nigeria
have five to eight nuclear power plants operating by the end
of 2030, and that to reach this figure, Nigeria should build
a reactor every three to five years, with the pace of
construction increasing as Nigeria develops its nuclear
expertise. In terms of Nigeria's building these reactors,
Rogner said the IAEA would insist that Nigeria "do it right"
because "one strike, and you're out." He also declared the
IAEA will seek the "highest level of transparency" for the
sake of the international community.

(U) 7. Nkong-Njock said that, once Nigeria was at the point
of starting to build nuclear reactors, an IAEA official
would visit Nigeria every three to four months to oversee
matters. He added that the IAEA also will advise Nigeria on
its power-generation needs. Nkong-Njock additionally noted
that, although the GON is a signatory to the Non-
Proliferation Treaty, Nigeria still has not declared that it
will allow unrestricted, unannounced visits by IAEA
inspectors.

(U) 8. In discussing Nigeria's existing nuclear facilities
at Sheda and Zaria, Nkong-Njock said their physical
protection "is still lacking." He noted that at the Zaria
reactor, the GON already has implemented most of the IAEA's
recommendations, including for nuclear waste management.
Nkong-Njock said, however, that the GON has not yet
implemented at Sheda "many" of the IAEA's recommendations,
including measures for security and safety.
(SBU) 9. Begin comment: The two Nigerian officials at this
meeting said nearly nothing but rather deferred almost
completely to the two IAEA officials. Neither the GON
officials nor the IAEA officials asked what was the U.S.
Government's policy toward Nigeria's pursuit of the peaceful
use of nuclear power, or toward Nigeria's plan to build up
to eight nuclear reactors. The IAEA officials at the
meeting appeared to believe Nigeria's construction of eight
reactors would proceed without significant difficulties.
They also seemed to have no appreciation for concerns that
might arise in maintaining security at these reactors if
they are built. End comment.

(U) 10. Action request: Embassy Abuja requests that the
Department of State and the U.S. Department of Energy review
their policy on Nigeria's intention to build five to eight
nuclear power plants, and then communicate this policy to
Embassy Abuja.

CAMPBELL