AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY (ABU) DEBUNKS CLAIMS OF HIDDEN NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROJECT

AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY (ABU) DEBUNKS CLAIMS OF HIDDEN NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROJECT

The management of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has strongly refuted claims circulating in a viral video alleging that the institution is secretly developing nuclear weapons in Nigeria.

In a Special Bulletin issued by the university’s Public Affairs Directorate, the management described the video — titled “ABU has an untold secret on hidden nuclear weapons project in Nigeria” — as malicious and misleading, insisting that the claims are entirely false and aimed at tarnishing the institution’s image.

According to the bulletin, the originators of the video alleged that scientists at ABU were “secretly developing weapons-grade uranium in a remote location” and had built “sophisticated centrifuge cascades since the OAU days” for the purpose of producing nuclear bombs.

The university firmly debunked these assertions, clarifying that ABU has no equipment, facilities, or programme related to the construction of centrifuges or the development of nuclear weapons.

It further explained that the Centre for Energy Research and Training (CERT), established under Decree 3 of 1978 and backed by Decree 46 of 1976, operates strictly under the supervision of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). All its scientists, the statement noted, were trained abroad under these agencies for peaceful applications of nuclear energy.

The university highlighted that Nigeria’s first nuclear research reactor, commissioned in 2004 in collaboration with the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission and the IAEA, was converted from Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) to Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) in 2005 under the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) — a global non-proliferation measure.

ABU also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to international treaties such as the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), signed in 1968, and the Pelindaba Treaty, which came into effect in 2009, both of which prohibit the development or possession of nuclear weapons. “Nigeria and ABU have always pursued the peaceful application of nuclear energy for the economic and scientific advancement of the country,” the bulletin stated, emphasizing that the institution’s nuclear research activities are focused solely on training, medical, and agricultural uses.

The university management urged the public to disregard the false claims, reaffirming its dedication to academic excellence, transparency, and the peaceful use of science for national development.