One very important phenomena in the Nigerian power reform policies is the inadequacies and of course, the inability of government to execute laudable plans that could foster overall socio-economic development and sustainability.
This has largely informed the adoption of the nuclear energy option by the present administration of President Umar Musa Yar’Adua in recent times. Thus the intent of government is geared towards integrated power supply targeted at producing and acquiring more than 6000, megawatts by the year 2010 (Sunday Tribune, 2008). It can be emphasized here that the National integrated Power Projects (NIPP) has a benchmark of at least generating, transmitting and distributing adequate power supply to all nooks and crannies of Nigeria within the shortest limit of time and at low cost. Thus the power stations under the NIPP agenda includes Calabar (500mw), Egbema (350mw), Eyaen (500mw), Gbarain (250mw), Ikot Abasi (300mw), Sapele (500mw), Omoku )225mw) and Ibom (180mw) respectively (Sunday Tribune, 2008:3).
In any case, however, the possibilities of adopting the nuclear option as a way of salvaging the Nigerian power sector from total collapse is of utmost importance to this researcher, and hence, raises a lot of concerns. It is interesting to state that the adverse consequences of environmental as well as health hazards posed by the toxic wastes emanating from nuclear regards leaves much to be desired.
Similarly, contending arguments by nuclear energy experts in favour of the former is that:
1) The energy produced per amount of material consumed is the highest available.
2) The cost of nuclear energy is competitive with coal as the major source of energy used in the world.
3) That uranium, the source material of nuclear energy is readily available and abundant.
4) That plutonium, a by-product of commercial nuclear plant operation can also be used as fuel and
5) That the amount of waste product produced by the source of energy is the least of any major energy process (NEPA News, 2005).
With the benefit of hindsight, we can rightly say that government intention towards reawakening the ailing power sector is not a bad one. However, the environmental and health consequences to humanity remains a major constraints. Nigeria as a developing country does not possess the wherewithal for proper disposal unlike developed nations of Europe and America, Canada, Japan etc. These countries appear to have the capacity to properly manage nuclear wastes thereby safeguarding the ecosystem from undue pressure. Nigeria for example uses nuclear plant in Zaria, Kaduna state. Although the nuclear energy there is strictly used for research purposes. It can be maintained here that the used fuel and indeed, all spent fuel must be returned to China, its country of origin where it came from (Elegba, 2008). From the foregoing, the fears of the possible environmental consequences through radioactive and ionizing radiations are virtually out of place as the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authorities are combat ready to check the activities of operations of power stations and major oil drilling and manufacturing and mining companies alike.