By ABUBAKAR YUSUF.
The appointment of Professor Yusuf Aminu Ahmed as the new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, NAEC, in September 2021 justified the efforts by the new leadership to turn around Nigeria by exploring and exploiting nuclear energy as another avenue to develop our socio-economic and infrastructural development in all spheres.
His appointment at a time when there is a clamor by management and stakeholders about the commission’s efforts towards formulating a well-contrived policy thrust, that will inculcate nuclear energy in all facets of our national life when fully harnessed and utilized, in line with our quest for diverse technologies to drive the technologically based economy across the globe.
Coincidentally, the astute Professor of Nuclear Physics with a distinguished academic background in combination with versed managerial acumen had driven the dire quest to chat the road map towards inculcating nuclear energy into the facets of our nation with strict provision to the modus operandi.
Conversely, having acted in that capacity for a while, it became apparent the need to pursue the desire to fashion out a well-articulated policy thrust aimed at realizing the set objectives.
The clamor became legitimate hence it was geared towards not only achieving economic stability, and advancement but sustaining one that will become the cynosure of other sectors.
With the mandate to develop and deploy nuclear energy, the need to invest more in the sector in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized, as the advantages outweigh the disadvantages when carefully deployed in line with the laydown procedures.
According to the new leadership of the commission, it is already to the public knowledge that countries around the globe had managed the rare energy, through its deployment into the provision of electricity generation, and waste management among many others, with Nigeria, not an exception.
Hence government at all levels has no reason not to embrace the alternative energy outlet using nuclear energy as a launching pad that will lead to the rejuvenation of the ailing world economies with Nigeria, not an exception.
The need to reinvigorate public-private partnerships with support from stakeholders across the globe will further reduce to the barest minimum insinuations, about the negative impact of new areas aimed at resolving energy crises bedeviling the country.
Therefore, the clamor by the current management on the government to invest more in nuclear energy was the right step in the right direction, along with the need to open up research in the citadel of learning and higher institutions as the country can manage nuclear energy deployment locally.
With the world economies crumbling and battling with recession intermittently, amidst unreliable and fluctuating GDP as a result of inflationary rates, compounded by the growing employment rates, experts’ prediction of harder times ahead, the need to embrace the application of nuclear energy in our national life became germane and needful.
The timely introduction and initiatives by Professor Yusuf Aminu led the management of NAEC will herald a new chapter for the deployment of nuclear energy, and utilization in Nigeria that will not only be the pride of the nation’s largest and expanding economy but for other nations both developing as underdeveloped to replicate as a leeway.
Written by ABUBAKAR YUSUF, A Public Affairs Analyst, All inquiries to yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.
