| Home
Iran to share nuclear technology with Nigeria
Amsterdam News.Net
Sunday 31st August, 2008 (Gilbert da Costa )
Iran has offered to share its nuclear technology with Nigeria to help boost electricity generation in energy-starved Nigeria.
The deal was reached at the end of three days of talks between officials of the two oil-producing nations. Gilbert da Costa has more for VOA in this report from Abuja.
Both countries were quick to stress that the nuclear technology assistance program would be for peaceful and civilian purposes alone.
Nigeria is desperate to revive its power generation in the wake of severe electricity problems that have become so severe that much of the country goes without electricity for weeks.
Professor Bola Akinterinwa, an international relations consultant and senior researcher at the Lagos-based Nigerian Institute for International Affairs, says Nigeria is acting within a legitimate desire to tackle the debilitating power crisis.
'There is no electricity. If you come to my office now, you will see a lantern, said Akinterinwa. 'We've never had electricity in this office in the past eight months, the Institute of International Affairs. It is permanently [on] generator. So now if any country wants to give us electricity, why should I be bothered whether it is controversial or not?'
The offer has prompted some international interest in view of the controversy surrounding Iran's nuclear program. Tehran says its nuclear program is for energy purposes but some western powers are skeptical.
Professor Akinterinwa says Nigeria should not be drawn into the controversy. 'The Iranian partnership with Nigeria on this matter is to generate, to enhance greater electricity output for peaceful purposes. Since the government of Nigeria emphasized peaceful purposes and is not meant for belligerent agenda, I wouldn't see any problem with it.'
Despite its huge oil and gas resources, Nigeria's electricity supplies are woefully inadequate due to corruption and a lack of maintenance of power stations.
Nigeria currently generates about 3,000 megawatts of electricity, according to officials who claim the country's current demands stand at around 20,000.  Email this story to a friend
Comments on this story
tyusa
08-31-08, 11:23 PM |
Iran to share nuclear technology with Nigeria
The nigerian president is a muslim.Why are you surprised he is dealing with Iran despite controversy surrounding I ran’s nuclear programme?
|
manpekin big apple
08-31-08, 11:42 PM |
nuclear plant in nigeria
I strongly suggest the sie of your plant be
in northern nigeria you know what i mean dude.
|
Richdad
09-01-08, 07:19 AM |
Nuclear tech. from Iran? Yar-Adua be focused please.
It is too early for our president Umaru to allow himself to be distracted by International controverses and politics when he has more than enough domestic problems to tackle.The nations power problem results from corruption which he knows too well and Nigerians expect him to face that monster threatening to destroy Nigeria than being distracted by international nuclear power tussels.The question is even if we need nuclear plant,must the technology come from controversial Iran?
|
non believer
09-01-08, 10:58 AM |
whats nigeria's real agenda
why would a corrupt goverment such as nigeria go to a country like Iran for help? the nigerian government has been raping there own country and hurting thier own people for years now we are to believe that Iran is helping them for peaceful purposes. why doesn’t Nigeria aproach a western country for help. I am sure Canada would help them out with what they need and with peaceful intent. These corrupt governments never look to any non corrupt countries for help because the people running the government are all criminals. I have alot of experience dealing with corrupt african countries and the first rule is if you want anything done you have to bribe any government official or police officer to get anything done. it is a massive huge mistake if we believe that Iran is helping Nigeria for the good of the country and its people. the Nigerian government has not cared about the people ever, all they care about is stealing and abusing thier power until they have ruined thier entire country. Iran is going to help them.... right and I have a bridge in brooklyn I would love to sell you. Wake up, all that both these countries have in mind is abusing thier people and the rest of the world. How can you trust any country that purposly keeps thier people uneducated and never allows them to know anything about the world outside there own countries. My wife is from Nigeria and she went through the education program. Sure she can read, write do arithmatic but she was never taught anything else and never knew anything about the world around her. The Nigerian government purposly keeps thier people uneducated and in poverty so that only certian corrupt people and families can continue to bleed the country of all its wealth. Nigeria is the richest country in Africa yet the people still live in poverty and disease. And you still believe that Iran and Nigeria are going to bring nuclear power to the country for the good of the people. Iran is building bombs and soon Nigeria will be. Time for the world to wake up, before there is no world for us to worry about. These nations do not care about themselves so we are suppose to believe that they care about the world around them. All you bleeding hearts out there just go see these countries for yourselves and experience trying to do anything good for them before you make any judgements about those of us who are awake and aware that they do not want to help themselves more than they want to destroy everything in the world. Everyday these governments lie to thier own people and create hate for the rest of the world. Know we have to worry about them having Nuclear power. There are many ways to create power and electricity without using Nuclear technology. Nigeria supplies good constant power to surrounding countries because the government profits from selling the energy yet they have no power for its own people??? Ask yourselves how many times do you think the president of Nigeria went without power this year. The world and anyone who believes that Nigeria and Iran want Nuclear power for the good of thier countries are just plain stupid and blind. Time for the whole world to wake up about these corrupt countries. Just look at any country in Africa and most of the middle east, they are all poverty stricken and the people are abused daily. Every country are we really that blind or are we just stupid.
|
Olugbohun
09-01-08, 08:25 PM |
Lets examine the facts!!
It is understable for people to be sceptical about a country that is blessed with so much resources to better itself, raise it’s profile in the World, bring it’s people out of poverty and end a struggle that seems without end. Such vast resources have been squandered by corruption, mismangement and greed. that however is not the whole story.
As a Nigerian, I see and agree with all the sentiments here. But I am also full of hope that Nigeria is changing and the will to chnage has never been stronger.
I know this because I grew up in a Nigeria that I almost did not recognise after a while. I had the best education and unlike non-believer’s wife above, I was well aware of the world around me and the role it played in desimating my country and Africa.
The fact that the problem of power and what to do about it is being talked about is itself progress. It is not a new problem, but nobody thought it vital to make it a big deal in the past.
The fact that the current government is trying to solve a problem that has contributed in no small measure to underdeveloping the country is a massive leap.
Why Iran? simple. There is a believe in Africa to which I do not necessarily subscribe, that it is in the interest of Europe and the West for Nigeria and Africa to remain poor.
We have seen this in ths raw deal African farmers get in world trade - (how they get paid pittance for their tea, their coffee). We have seen this in how the West has supported rogue regimes and granted safe havens for their stolen wealth which imroved their economies. In this context, Walter Rodney’s thesis “How Europe underdeveloed Africa is worth a read”
I believe Africa is now looking elsewhere. Were done moaning - and were looking to China and the Middle East, asking for assistance that they have been refused over years and years of subservience to the West who selfishly rationed the transfer of technology. African is tired of going cap in hand for pittance in Aid and we are instead teachng ourselves to fish.
I went to Nigeria in March, after staying away for 12 years and maybe non believer should go and have a look. I was taken by the attempts being made to improve the country, it’s not the best at the moment but its evidently on the move. Noone would right the wrongs that decades of mismanagement has brought, but as said by one of my colleagues “were making progress - slowly”
As for the ulterior motives already mentioned here with nuclear technology. It is unfair to compare Irans perceived position and intentions with Nigeria’s need to use nuclear technology to improve it’s energy needs.
Apart from the fact that Iran’s intentions are conjecture by a World worried about Isreals safety in the Middle East, believing that Iran intends to acquire nuclear defences, Nigeria has no such needs.
I however doubt if the World would ever allow this move by Nigeria to go nuclear, but the fact that it is mooted is encouraging.
Nigeria would no doubt be labeled irresponsible, rightly or wrongly, to handle such a sensitive technology. That has been the argument from day one, meanwhile 80% of France’s electricity is nuclear generated while Nigeria continues to rely on 3000 megawatts generated at the ageing Hydro Electricty Plant in Kainji - Thats the West want it and sadly, without radical leadership, that’s the way it would be.
|
Have your say on this story
|
|
