Nigeria has advocated the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, warning that global security cannot continue to depend on weapons capable of destroying humanity.
Nigeria’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Jimoh Ibrahim, made the call on Tuesday in New York during a high-level UN meeting on nuclear disarmament.
The meeting was convened on the occasion of International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons during the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly.
“Nigeria firmly believes that the only absolute guarantee against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is their total elimination,” Mr Ibrahim stated. “Nigeria does not possess nuclear weapons, has never pursued a nuclear-weapons programme and has no intention of doing so. Our security does not depend on nuclear weapons.”
According to Mr Ibrahim, enduring global security should instead be anchored on dialogue, international law, multilateral cooperation and the equal security of all countries.
He added, “President Tinubu has consistently affirmed Nigeria’s readiness to work with the international community in advancing nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.”
Noting that Nigeria looks forward to a world in which no nation needs to rely on nuclear weapons for its security, he urged nuclear-weapon states to honour their disarmament obligations under Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
He also called on the countries to fulfil longstanding commitments toward the irreversible, transparent and verifiable elimination of their nuclear arsenals.
“The continued modernisation of nuclear weapons and reliance on nuclear deterrence only heighten the risks of miscalculation, escalation and catastrophic humanitarian consequences,” Mr Ibrahim explained.
Citing Africa’s experience under the Treaty of Pelindaba, which established the continent as a nuclear-weapon-free zone, the ambassador added, “Nigeria remains proud of Africa’s contribution to global nuclear disarmament and supports the establishment and strengthening of nuclear-weapon-free zones in other regions.”
The call for total elimination coincided with the alarm raised by UN chief António Guterres, saying the world “is in most dangerous nuclear moment since the end of the cold war”.
Mr Guterres urged the United States and Russia to negotiate a successor framework to New START and stressed that it is “beyond time” to bring the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty into force, adding that “these devices of death must never decide the fate of humanity”.