The west African nation's desire was to use all available sources of power for the improvement of the lives of Nigerians through the development of health facilities, effective and efficient water management, agriculture and other peaceful purposes, Obasanjo said.

He said that Nigeria needed help from the IAEA to identify, locate, test and check radio-active material, especially in view of the danger it posed in the wrong hands, the statement said.

He appealed to IAEA for help in training of personnel, the use of atomic energy for the eradication of mosquitoes and tse-tse flies. He also thanked the UN agency for its cooperation and support for the Centre for Energy, Research and Training, in northern Nigerian city of Zaria.

Responding, El-Baradei, who arrived in Nigeria at the weekend to discuss with the Nigerian authorities radio-active and nuclear issues, said that his organisation's three major projects in Nigeria were in health, agriculture and management.

He promised his agency's help in the eradication of tse-tse fly and mosquitoes in the country, the statement said.