The Federal government has been urged to explore and develop all sources of energy available in the country. This presentation was made by the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) to the national conference committee on energy.
The commission also disclosed that the country will get a nuclear plant in 2022 at the cost of 6 billion Dollars.
While reacting to a question from the committee’s chairman, Senator Rashidi Ladoja yesterday, the Director, Human Resources of the Commission, Prof Simon Mallam, and the nuclear energy plant can ensure stable power for as long as sixty years . in order to guarantee sustainable energy even for the future energy sources including nuclear, gas, hydro , coal and solar, he said.
He further advised that although the country wasted a little time in the nuclear arena, it will nonetheless be able to deliver nuclear power by 2022 if the enabling environment and support are given. He said nuclear power may be expensive but can endure for a very long time even if it starts with a small plant.
All the available sources, according to the commission, can exist side by side adding that what is generated from the nuclear plant can be used to feed into others and it becomes a basic supply. While dismissing its expensive nature, he averred that the country can embrace the principle of ‘’Build, operate and transfer’’ option where private individuals with the skill and finance can develop and manage it for some time and recoup their money and hand over to the government.