President Muhammadu Buhari, today, left for Washington DC to meet with other world leaders attending the 4th Nuclear Security Summit scheduled to kick-off tomorrow.
The purpose of the summit is to address the threat of nuclear terrorism to global security through international cooperation, secure vulnerable nuclear materials, break up black markets, detect and intercept illicit trafficked materials.
Buhari’s foreign trips have come under criticisms of late as reports show that, a presidential trip on the average costs the Nigerian taxpayers between $500,000 and $1,200,000 in travelling expenses.
Presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina said the President is working around the clock to ensure that the country can generate electricity through nuclear energy.
He also hinted that, World powers should respect the right of other countries to use nuclear energy for development and the Buhari led administration has opened its doors for support from global organisations.
“It will be recalled that at a meeting with him in Abuja earlier this month, President Buhari told the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, that the Federal Government will welcome greater support from the agency for Nigeria’s aspiration to begin the generation of electricity with nuclear energy,” the statement said.
The first Nuclear Security Summit was held in Washington, DC in 2010, and was followed by additional Summits in Seoul in 2012 and The Hague in 2014. These Summits have achieved tangible improvements in the security of nuclear materials and stronger international institutions that support nuclear security.
President Buhari is expected back in the country on Sunday.