NNRA SECURED GRANT FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION TO EXECUTE INSTRUMENT FOR NUCLEAR SAFETY COOPERATION PROJECT IN NIGERIA.

NNRA SECURED GRANT FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION TO EXECUTE INSTRUMENT FOR NUCLEAR SAFETY COOPERATION PROJECT IN NIGERIA.

PRESS RELEASE

European Union (EU) nuclear safety experts were at the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) from 17 to 19 October 2023 in Abuja to discuss the commencement of the European Instrument for International Nuclear Safety Cooperation (INSC) project on enhancing the regulatory framework for nuclear safety in Nigeria.

The EU Experts were in Nigeria to interact with their counterparts in NNRA on the modalities for the implementation of the first Bilateral Cooperation Project on nuclear safety and the safe management of radioactive waste in country to be supported by a grant from the EU.

In his opening remarks the DG of the NNRA Dr. Yau Idris thanked the EU for finding the request made by the NNRA worthy of a grant covering a period of two years from 1st October 2023 to 31st September 2025. He indicated that the implementation of the project will be closely monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure compliance with international best practice and regulations.

Dr. Idris stated that part of the grant is meant for the NNRA to implement some aspects of the IAEA Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) Mission where the IAEA sent a team of 12 senior nuclear regulatory experts from 11 countries and three of its staff to Nigeria to review the country radiation and nuclear safety regulatory framework and activities against relevant IAEA safety standards and international nuclear safey treaties.

The DG also indicated that recently, in July 2023 the IAEA conducted an International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) Mission to Nigeria. The Mission made up of eight international experts from the United States, France, Argentina, Indonesia, Romania, Lebanon, Slovakia and Pakistan together with NNRA staff and with the assistance of the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) visited facilities with high risk nuclear and radioactive material including the Nigeria Nuclear Research Reactor (NiRR-1) located at the Centre for Energy Research and Training (CERT), Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. The goal was to assess Nigeria’s compliance with the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM, INFCIRC/274) and its 2005 Amendment, Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources as well as the relevant IAEA Nuclear Security Series (NSS) publications.

Both IAEA missions concluded that Nigeria through the NNRA has established an excellent nuclear safety and security regime that is in the process of being significantly improved through the update of legislative and regulatory framework and other ongoing initiatives. Key issues requiring urgent attention are the passage of the NNRA Bill and its Presidential assent and the provision of a permanent headquarter office.

The EU choose the NNRA for the project based on several positive reports by all the IAEA missions to Nigeria and its leadership in Africa as regards nuclear regulatory activities and competence. The project will focus on capacity development and training, enhancing regulatory framework for nuclear safety and ensuring that Nigeria implements the recommendation of all the IAEA missions in respect to its regulatory infrastructure.

The EU team of experts were drawn from the Finland Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) and the Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration (SNSA) and some Technical Support Organizations (TSO) such as the Austrian nuclear safety and CBRN-E security Consultants (ENCO) and the Belgian Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC) TSO (Bel V).

Currently, the DG of the NNRA Dr. Yau Idris, is both the Chairman of the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE) 5th Bureau of Conference of States Parties and the Chairperson of the Forum of Nuclear Regulatory Bodies in Africa (FNRBA)

Signed: Ekaette Bassey (Mrs.)

Head, Information and Protocol Unit

NNRA.