Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has cautioned the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) against its proposed plan to build four nuclear power plants, each with a generation capacity of 1,200 megawatts, citing concerns about feasibility and resource constraints.
The Minister made his position known during a meeting with the commission’s leadership on Tuesday in Abuja, according to a statement issued by his media aide, Bolaji Tunji, on Wednesday.
During the meeting, the Acting Chairman of the Commission, Anthony Ekedewa, provided updates on the agency’s activities, noting that NAEC was established in 1976 under the leadership of then Head of State, Olusegun Obasanjo. Ekedewa emphasized that nuclear energy, as a renewable resource, has the potential to power the entire country and revealed plans to develop four large-scale nuclear plants.
However, Minister Adelabu advised against this large-scale rollout, urging the commission to reconsider its strategy. While he acknowledged the potential of modular nuclear reactors, particularly in light of the ongoing decentralisation of the power sector, he questioned the extent to which Nigeria has fully harnessed its conventional energy sources.
“This is an area states can benefit from directly. Over the years, significant investment has gone into developing the commission, and it is time for Nigeria to start seeing tangible returns,” Adelabu said.
He further emphasized that while nuclear power remains a viable and advanced energy option, resource limitations and implementation challenges must be realistically addressed.
Despite his reservations on the scale of the proposed nuclear projects, the Minister expressed readiness to partner with NAEC to enhance the country’s energy capacity. He stressed that the Federal Ministry of Power is committed to collaborating with the commission to stabilize and boost electricity generation in line with ongoing sector reforms.
In response, Ekedewa reiterated the commission’s willingness to support national energy goals and revealed that two potential sites—Geregu in Kogi State and Idu in Akwa Ibom State—have already undergone feasibility studies.
“We are ready to work with the Ministry of Power to support national base load demands. However, we are constrained by limited resources to execute these projects,” he said.
The meeting concluded with both parties agreeing on the need for strategic collaboration to explore sustainable, scalable nuclear energy solutions that align with Nigeria’s broader energy transition goals.
