The Nigerian and United States governments have signed a Proliferation Resistance Optimization (PRO-X) statement on supporting Nigeria in the design, construction and commissioning processes of Nigeria’s Multipurpose Research Reactor (NIRR-II), the Federal Government has said.
This is according to an executive summary of Nigeria’s participation at the ongoing 67th Regular Session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference, held in Vienna, Austria.
The PRO-X statement was signed by the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission and the US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
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According to the NNSA, the PRO-X programme reduces nuclear risks by supporting research by helping international partners design new research reactors and facilities that reduce the production of dangerous nuclear material while optimising reactor performance.
The Nigerian delegation was said to have signed the document while participating in a number of bilateral meetings and side events on the sidelines of the conference.
See the full statement below:
BRIEF ON NIGERIA’S PARTICIPATION AT THE IAEA CONFERENCE IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA FROM 25TH -29TH SEPTEMBER 2023
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Adamu Ibrahim LAMUWA, led the Nigerian delegation to the 67th Regular Session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference, holding in Vienna, Austria from 25th – 29th September 2023. It could be recalled that Nigeria joined the IAEA on 23rd March 1964.
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The General Conference is the annual meeting of member states to discuss Policy issues of the Agency. The 2023 Conference was declared open by the Director – General, Mr. Rafael Marriano GROSSI. The Conference was presided over by Her Excellency Ms Vilawam Mangklatanakul, Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Thailand.
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During the Conference, Member States delivered National statements including Nigeria. The Nigerian Statement was delivered by the Head of Delegation, Ambassador Adamu Ibrahim LAMUWA.
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On the sidelines of the Conference, the Nigerian delegation participated in a number of Bilateral meetings and side events. Key among them was the bilateral engagement between the United States of America and Nigeria in which the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission signed a PRO-X statement with the US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) on supporting Nigeria in the design, construction and commissioning processes of Nigeria’s Multipurpose Research Reactor (NIRR-II).
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In addition, Nigeria’s Country Program Framework (CPF) for the year 2024-2029 with the IAEA was finalized and will be signed in the course of the conference. Similarly, MOUs between the Republic of China and the Russian Federation for the promotion of Nuclear Science and Technology, especially in capacity building and infrastructure development are scheduled to be finalized during the Conference.
