Nigeria has been elected to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the 2026–2028 term.
The election took place during the 70th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna, Austria, marking another significant step in Nigeria’s engagement with the global nuclear energy body.
Following Nigeria’s election, Ambassador Dr. Fatima Florence Ajimobi, Nigeria’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the IAEA, has been appointed as Nigeria’s Governor on the Board of Governors.
In her new capacity, Ajimobi will represent the Federal Government at meetings of the Board and its committees, where key issues relating to the agency’s programmes, policies and activities are considered.
Nigeria’s election provides the country with an opportunity to participate directly in the governance and policy direction of the IAEA and to contribute to discussions on the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology.
The development is also expected to strengthen Nigeria’s longstanding cooperation with the IAEA in areas including nuclear safety and security, safeguards, peaceful use of nuclear technology and international cooperation for sustainable development.
Nigeria has increasingly sought to harness nuclear science and technology to support national development, with applications spanning healthcare, agriculture, food security, water-resource management and human-capacity development.
The country’s representation on the Board is therefore expected to provide an additional platform for advancing its interests and deepening technical cooperation with the IAEA and other member states.
The IAEA Board of Governors is one of the agency’s principal policy-making bodies and plays a central role in overseeing the organisation’s programmes, approving its budget and making recommendations to the General Conference.
Nigeria’s election for the 2026–2028 term consequently places the country in a position to contribute to international deliberations on the responsible and peaceful use of nuclear science and technology.