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Iran fallout: now Nigeria has nuclear ambitions
As predicted: seeing Iran's ambitions unchecked triggers other nations to claim the same ambition, however unrealistic. In a similar vein, Tom Lehrer sang "Who's Next" about Monaco and Alabama wanting the Bomb.Despite boasting Africa`s largest oil reserves, Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar`Adua thinks his country should be looking to other forms of power, including nuclear energy. The new Nigerian leader who came into office in late May has called for the country to 'develop the capacity to utilize nuclear power for power generation' in hopes of one day alleviating Nigeria`s chronic shortfalls in electricity production. 'Who knows, nuclear power may be the only source of energy in the future, and we must think of the future,' Yar`Adua told Nigerian lawmakers earlier this week. However, bringing nuclear power to Nigeria isn`t going to be simple. The country faces many obstacles, according to Jon Wolfsthal, a non-proliferation fellow at the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington. 'Countries with primitive energy infrastructures (like Nigeria) have a long way to go towards having a productive nuclear power generator,' Wolfsthal told United Press International. Nigeria`s power grid is considered primitive by international standards and would have to be upgraded to be compatible with a nuclear energy source, he said. 'When you build a nuclear power plant, you have to have something to hook it up to,' he said. Oh. Hadn't thought of that. Fortunately for Nigeria, the state coffers are awash in oil revenue, having earned more than $300 billion since the 1970s. Wolfsthal noted that other oil-producing nations, such as Iran, have also looked to nuclear energy, as rising global oil prices make the fossil fuel expensive for use at home. Wolfsthal predicted that Nigeria would likely have to shell out somewhere between $1 billion and $2 billion for a single light-water reactor that would have to be contracted out to foreign companies. Meanwhile, the cost of constructing an updated power grid for a population of 130 million and growing rapidly would likely be much higher. In addition to costs, Nigeria must also procure the raw uranium needed for refinement in a nuclear reactor. The country does have some uranium deposits, though it is unclear whether they would meet the nation`s growing energy needs. Posted by: trailing wife 2007-07-27 |
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