Nigeria
Nigeria is an example to be followed by other States, as it has adhered to all of the seven key treaties in the legal architecture on disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, in addition to being party to a nuclear-weapon-free zone (NWFZ) treaty.
TPNW Status
| Key weapons of mass destruction treaties | ||
|---|---|---|
| NUCLEAR WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the TPNW | Yes (Ratified 2020) | |
| Party to the NPT | Yes (Ratified 1968) | |
| Ratified the CTBT | Yes (Ratified 2001) | |
| Party to an NWFZ | Yes (Ratified 2001, Pelindaba) | |
| CSA with the IAEA | Yes (In force 1988) | |
| AP with the IAEA | Yes (In force 2007) | |
| BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS | ||
| Party to the BWC | Yes (Ratified 1973) | |
| Party to the CWC | Yes (Ratified 1999) | |
| TPNW Art. 1(1) prohibitions: Compliance in 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| (a) | Develop, produce, manufacture, acquire | Compliant |
| Possess or stockpile | Compliant | |
| Test | Compliant | |
| (b) | Transfer | Compliant |
| (c) | Receive transfer or control | Compliant |
| (d) | Use | Compliant |
| Threaten to use | Compliant | |
| (e) | Assist, encourage or induce | Compliant |
| (f) | Seek or receive assistance | Compliant |
| (g) | Allow stationing, installation, deployment | Compliant |
| TPNW voting and participation | |
|---|---|
| UNGA resolution on TPNW (latest vote) | Voted yes (2025) |
| Participated in 3MSP (2025) | Yes |
| Participated in 2MSP (2023) | Yes |
| Participated in 1MSP (2022) | Yes |
| Average MSP delegation size (% women) | 5.67 (4%) |
| Adoption of TPNW (7 July 2017) | Voted yes |
| Participated in TPNW negotiations (2017) | Yes |
| Negotiation mandate (A/RES/71/258) | Voted yes |
| Fissile material | |
|---|---|
| Nuclear facilities | Yes |
| Fissile material production | No |
| HEU stocks | Cleared |
| Plutonium stocks | No |
| SQP with the IAEA | No (Rescinded 2012) |
Latest developments
At the Third Meeting of States Parties (3MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in March 2025, Nigeria urged all States that have not yet joined the Treaty to do so ‘without further delay’. It also called for renewed efforts ‘to strengthen this major platform for multilateral disarmament’.1
At the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Preparatory Committee meeting in April 2025, Nigeria expressed its full support for the TPNW. ‘We believe that rather than undermine the NPT, [the] TPNW offers a strong and complementary process in furtherance of the disarmament pathways to the NPT,’ it said.2
Speaking at a high-level event on 26 September 2025 to mark the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, the President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, described the adoption of the TPNW as ‘a commendable milestone that further reinforces the objectives of the [NPT]’. He added that Nigeria ‘takes pride in having actively contributed to the negotiation process and in being among the first countries to sign the Treaty’.3
‘We commend all States that have ratified the TPNW and urge those yet to do so to accede without delay,’ he said. ‘The Treaty represents a significant step toward achieving a world free of nuclear weapons.’
In the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in October 2025, Nigeria recalled the ‘historic entry into force’ of the TPNW and renewed its call for all remaining UN member States, particularly nuclear-armed States, to accede to the Treaty ‘without delay, as a vital step toward a world free of nuclear weapons’.4
Nigeria co-sponsored the 2025 UN General Assembly resolution on the TPNW, which welcomed the Treaty’s entry into force and called upon ‘all States that have not yet done so to sign, ratify, accept, approve, or accede to the Treaty at the earliest possible date’.5
Recommendations
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Nigeria should continue to encourage other states to adhere to the TPNW.
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Nigeria should ensure that all the TPNW obligations are implemented domestically, through legal, administrative, and other necessary measures.