Nigeria has been elected to the 35-member Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the 2026–2028 term.
The election was held during the seventh plenary session of the 70th IAEA General Conference in Vienna, Austria.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement by its spokesperson, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, said Nigeria was elected alongside 10 other new members: Angola, Brazil, Greece, Honduras, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovakia and Sweden.
The Nigerian Government congratulated its Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative to the IAEA, Dr Fatima Florence Ajimobi, on her appointment as Nigeria’s Governor on the Board.
Adeniyi said Nigeria’s election came at a crucial time when “nuclear safety, security and safeguards prominently feature in global discourses” on the application of nuclear science and technology for peaceful and developmental purposes.
He noted that such applications were particularly important in areas including “healthcare, energy, agriculture, food security, water-resource management and environmental sustainability.”
The spokesperson explained that the Nigerian Government viewed the election as “not only a recognition of its commitment to advancing the ‘Atoms for Peace and Development’ mandate of IAEA but also an opportunity to contribute to the enhancement of international cooperation.”
Adeniyi said the opportunity would enable Nigeria to contribute to efforts aimed at “strengthening of global nuclear governance architecture for the benefit of humanity.”
The Nigerian Government also commended Ambassador Ajimobi and the Embassy of Nigeria in Vienna for the achievement.
It expressed confidence that the new Governor would “provide effective representation and engage constructively on policy directions that advance IAEA’s mandate and promote Nigeria’s nuclear priorities and interests in the Agency.”
The Ministry said Nigeria would retain its membership of the Board through the 2027–2028 period, following its election for the two-year term.
The IAEA, established on 29 July 1957, serves as the world’s central intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical cooperation in the nuclear field, with its Board of Governors and General Conference serving as its policy-making bodies.
Nigeria became a member of the agency in 1964 and currently cooperates with the IAEA under a Country Programme Framework covering 2024–2029.
The framework focuses on five priority areas: nuclear and radiation safety and security; food and agriculture; health and nutrition; water and environment; and energy planning and development.
Adeniyi reaffirmed that Nigeria “remains committed to working with the IAEA, its Member States and other partners to promote nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes.”
He further stated that the country would continue efforts to “strengthen nuclear safety and security, as well as enhance international cooperation on nuclear energy for the advancement of global development and shared prosperity.”
