Nigeria’s Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo has said that Nigeria has ventured into developing nuclear science in the country for rapid socio-economic development
He spoke today when he received the visiting Deputy Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr. Kweku Aning who paid him a courtesy visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The vice President said that the importance of the Nuclear energy would enable Nigeria to develope her nuclear science, adding that with a vast population, there is the need to develop the country’s nuclear science to optimal utilization for growth and development in all sectors of the economy.
Earlier, Mr. Kweku Aning had taken time to elaborate on the areas of cooperation between IAEA and the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission.
He stressed the importance of the nuclear technology in saving life and supporting credible performance in all sectors.
He said that they are in cooperation with Nigeria in the Health sector as most people believed that HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis are the greatest health challenges in developing countries but that cancer being a complicated disease, is expensive to diagnose and claims about 4.8 million people annually. This is compared to HIV/AIDS 2.1million, malaria 700,000 and tuberculosis 900,000.
According to him, the normal standard for the diagnostic facility is one for 500,000 people and that everyone involved in this specialized technology, including doctors, nurses and other supporting staff must be specially trained.
On nuclear power, he noted that Nigeria had energy deficit which needed to be filled and that they were working with his colleagues in the Atomic Energy Commission to provide the enabling environment for ensuring protection and emergencies. He added that they were working together on technology that could determine the magnitude of water resources on the ground weather it is fossil or replenished water.
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