President Muhammadu Buhari would leave Nigeria for Washington DC, United states of America, on Wednesday, March 30 for the fourth Nuclear Security Summit.

Buhari is expected to join 60 other world leaders alongside President Obama Barack and the heads of international organisations at the summit.

A statement released by the president’s media team revealed that he will be accompanied by the Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.) and the Director-General of Nigeria’s Nuclear Regulatory Agency, Professor Lawrence Anikwe Dim.

Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina said: “At plenary sessions of the summit which is dedicated to reinforcing international commitment to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, President Buhari will insist that while Nigeria will continue to sustain that commitment, world powers must respect the right of other countries to the peaceful use of nuclear energy for development purposes.”

Buhari will also “reaffirm Nigeria’s stance that international efforts to ensure greater security of nuclear materials should maintain a balance between nuclear non-proliferation obligations and the indisputable right of Nigeria and other countries to harness nuclear energy and technology for socio-economic development.”

Furthermore, the statement “recalled that at a meeting with him in Abuja earlier this month, President Buhari told the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mr. 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 President is billed to return to Abuja on Sunday, April 3.

Adebayo Emuleomo