Nigeria seeks total elimination of nuclear weapons at UN

Nigeria has advocated for a complete eradication of nuclear weapons, cautioning that global safety cannot persist on weapons potent enough to annihilate humanity. Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, made this plea during a significant UN assembly in New York on Tuesday. The gathering, coinciding with the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, took place during the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly.

Ibrahim highlighted the presence of thousands of nuclear warheads in global arsenals and the ongoing modernization of nuclear arsenals by nuclear-weapon states, amid escalating geopolitical tensions and mounting pressure on global arms-control agreements. He argued that lasting global security should be based on dialogue, international law, multilateral cooperation, and equal security for all nations.

Ibrahim urged nuclear-weapon states to fulfill their disarmament obligations as per Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. He also urged countries to adhere to commitments to the complete, transparent, and verifiable elimination of their nuclear arsenals. Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a fundamental pillar of the international non-proliferation regime.

Ibrahim further encouraged nations yet to join the prohibition treaty to do so as part of the collective endeavor to eliminate nuclear weapons. While emphasizing nuclear disarmament, Ibrahim affirmed Nigeria’s support for the right of countries to develop and utilize nuclear science and technology for peaceful objectives, provided they comply with international obligations and contribute to healthcare, agriculture, energy, water management, and sustainable development.

Nigeria’s recent call for nuclear disarmament aligns with its stance against nuclear weapons development while backing the peaceful use of nuclear technology. This stance mirrors Nigeria’s earlier calls for nuclear-weapon states to hasten the elimination of their arsenals. In October 2020, former President Muhammadu Buhari had urged nuclear-weapon states to comply with their disarmament commitments and highlighted Nigeria’s involvement in the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone Treaty, also known as the Pelindaba Treaty.