Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has forcefully denied allegations that it is secretly developing a nuclear weapon for the nation. The university’s management issued a statement Saturday to counter a viral social media video that claimed researchers were involved in uranium enrichment and had acquired centrifuge equipment from Pakistan’s A.Q. Khan network in the 1980s.
Awwal Umar, Director of the University’s Directorate of Public Affairs, who strongly refuted the claims argued that the historical timeline of the allegations was false, noting that most CERT scientists in the 1980s were still undergoing training abroad and could not have participated in uranium enrichment.
Nigeria is a signatory to both the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Treaty of Pelindaba, which establishes Africa as a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone.
These international commitments legally prohibit the country from developing or acquiring nuclear weapons.
ABU’s Centre for Energy Research and Training (CERT) houses the nation’s only operational nuclear research reactor (NIRR-1), which is a low-power facility designed for civilian purposes such as scientific research, training, and material analysis, and it is subject to safeguards by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The rapid spread of the unsubstantiated video on social media prompted the university to react quickly to protect its reputation and Nigeria’s compliance status.
The Ahmadu Bello University management has re-stated its commitment to transparency and adherence to international protocols on nuclear energy’s peaceful use.
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