Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria, Nigeria, has rejected claims circulating in a viral AI-generated video suggesting that the institution was involved in a covert nuclear weapons program.
The university’s Director of Public Affairs, Malam Auwalu Umar, described the video as “misleading” and “scientifically impossible” in a statement issued on October 25, 2025.
The video falsely alleged that ABU scientists had enriched weapons-grade uranium in the 1980s and built centrifuges sourced from Pakistan’s AQ Khan network, aiming to produce a nuclear device by 1987. Umar clarified that during this period, most researchers at ABU’s Centre for Energy Research and Training (CERT) were still training abroad and had not returned to Nigeria, making such claims highly improbable.
ABU also emphasized that it has never had any affiliation with the AQ Khan network or any country involved in nuclear weapons proliferation. The university noted that the only nuclear facility at ABU by 1987 was a 14 MeV Neutron Generator, which only became operational in 1988, and there is no record of the university receiving equipment to construct a centrifuge or nuclear device.
The university reiterated its commitment to the peaceful use of nuclear science and technology. It highlighted its ongoing collaborations with international organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as partnerships with institutions in the United States, Russia, and China, focused solely on research and education.
Established in 1976, the Centre for Energy Research and Training has consistently concentrated on nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. ABU stressed that its research initiatives are geared toward national development and have never included weapons programs, countering the claims made in the viral video.
In conclusion, ABU categorically denied all allegations of involvement in nuclear weapons development and reaffirmed its dedication to advancing scientific knowledge and peaceful nuclear research for Nigeria’s growth.
