Nigerian government hinted that it had opened bids to get approval for the construction of Nuclear power plants that can generate 4,000 megawatts of electricity to the length and breadth of the country.
Dr Yau Idris, Director General, Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), made the disclosure while speaking at the ongoing Nigerian International Energy Summit (NIES) in Abuja.
Idris said: “It is wrong to think that Nigeria can’t manage a nuclear power plant.
“There are mechanisms put in place that ensure any country can build a nuclear power plant.
“Nigeria is trying to deliver 4,000MW of electricity through nuclear power. We are trying to construct four units and we are at the bidding stage.”
He said Nigeria had been trying to diversify its energy sources since 1977, stressing that the additional 4,000MW would increase the country’s generation capacity to about 13,000MW.]
According to him, the plant would be the largest power plant in Nigeria if the bids are successful and construction is completed.
Idris said the regulatory agency has signed agreements with Russia, Pakistan, France and South Korea to build the capacity of its staff in manning the nuclear plants.
