Vice President Kashim Shettima has restated Nigeria’s firm support for the global ban on nuclear weapons testing, declaring that the country and the African continent has no interest in nuclear arms but is instead focused on combating poverty and climate change.

Speaking at the Presidential Villa in Abuja during a meeting with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) delegation, Shettima said Africa’s urgent priorities lie in human development and ecological preservation.

“We are fighting poverty and the ecological crises affecting our economy,” Shettima said. “The outcome of any nuclear conflict is always tragic. Africa has no business dabbling in nuclear weapons.”

He praised CTBTO’s global network of 337 monitoring stations, which have successfully detected all seven nuclear tests conducted by North Korea, and commended its broader contributions to seismic and tsunami detection, which he described as essential to global ecological stability.

The vice president assured CTBTO Executive Secretary Dr Robert Floyd of Nigeria’s unwavering support for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to peace and global security.

In his remarks, Dr Floyd praised Nigeria’s leadership under President Bola Tinubu, describing the country as a “vital partner” in the quest for a nuclear-free world. He also highlighted Nigeria’s technical contributions through institutions like the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA).

“This is a natural partnership built on shared values and a collective vision for a safer world,” Dr Floyd said.