The Federal Government has selected seven sites for the construction of nuclear power stations for the purposes of generating electricity.
A source in the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology who spoke on the telephone with our correspondent on Tuesday listed some of the sites to include Lagos/Ogun states, Yola in Adamawa State, Ondo/Ekiti, and Benue .
The source, who preferred to be anonymous, explained that the sites were confirmed at a workshop organised in the second week of December by the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission on the siting of nuclear power plants in the country.
Issues surrounding nuclear power are often shrouded in secrecy due to security considerations as well as the need to avoid them being misinterpreted.
According to the source, experts, some of whom came from the International Atomic Energy Agency, approved preliminary reports on the seven sites.
IAEA is the global body that regulates atomic energy use.
The participants at the five-day workshop also demanded that more work be done at the sites, especially on seismic data.
�The climatology and geology of the sites are generally favoured as there has never been a history of volcanic eruption,� he said.
He explained that Nigeria could overcome the challenge of seismic data by networking with neighbouring countries with a similar geological history.
He also said that the workshop asked that sites chosen should not be flood plains and areas with a huge water table.
Nigeria is expected to generate 1,000 mega watts of electricity from nuclear sources by 2017 and increase the quantum to 4,000 by 2027.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Mrs. Grace Ekpiwhre, who spoke at a workshop organised by NAEC, said the targets would be met if the nation stuck to the Nuclear Energy Road Map.
According to her, the Federal Government first mooted the idea of deploying nuclear power plants as part of the national strategy to ensure energy security over 30 years ago.
She explained that the rationale behind the renewed effort at exploring nuclear energy for electricity generation was the wide gap that existed between electricity demand and generation capacity in the country.
Ekpiwhre indicated that the road map consisted of a three phase technical framework and strategic plan, adding that unlike other sources of electricity generation, nuclear sources were sensitive.
�The deployment of nuclear technology necessitates collaboration with worthy development partners and relevant international bodies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency,� she said.
The minister explained that partnership with the IAEA would also ensure that the nation avoided controversy in the attempt to fully exploit the peaceful applications of nuclear technology for the nation�s socio-economic development.
�This partnership will also ensure that our programme is properly guided within the safety, safeguards and framework of the international community, as well as avoid mistakes with possible negative consequences,� she said.