NNRA SEEKS TO FINALIZE SAFETY REGULATIONS FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS IN NIGERIA

NNRA SEEKS TO FINALIZE SAFETY REGULATIONS FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS IN NIGERIA

As a competent Authority with the responsibility to ensure the emplacement of adequate regulatory framework for Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Nigeria, and protect life, health and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation, the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) conducted a Two-day Stakeholders’ Workshop to Finalize the Draft Safety Regulations for Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs), from 15^th to 16^th of August, 2023 in Abuja.

The workshop was to scrutinize the draft regulations on the commissioning, operation and decommissioning of nuclear power plants along with the procedures and organizational processes, which are part of the requirements for safe deployment and oversight. The objective of these regulations is to establish the requirement that must be satisfied to ensure the safe commissioning, operation and decommissioning of nuclear power plants in Nigeria so as to prevent events that could compromise safety and mitigate the consequences of such events, should they occur.

The DG/CEO, Dr. Yau Idris, at the opening ceremony of the workshop, noted that the regulations are developed for organizations involved in the design and construction, modification, maintenance, commissioning operation, decommissioning of land-based stationary of nuclear power plants with water-cooled reactors. He further opined that the Regulations are to determine the requirements that must be considered in the commissioning, operation, and decommissioning stages of the NPPs.

‘’ The fundamental safety objective is to protect the people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation and ensure that nuclear power plants are operated and conducted to achieve the highest standards of safety that can reasonably be achieved’’ he said

Dr. Idris, urged Stakeholders to work assiduously using relevant documents to review the Regulations. He acknowledged that encountering challenges in such a huge task was inevitable but proffering solutions to them will be of immense benefit to the Country, especially at this critical time of power deficiency in the Country.

The workshop had in attendance Stakeholders from Centre for Nuclear Energy Studies and Training (CNEST), Centre for Energy Research and Development(CERD), Ministry of Petroleum Resources(MPR), Federal Ministry of Power(FMP) Centre for Energy Research and Training(CERT), Federal Ministry of Environments, Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Federal Ministry of Justice(FMJ), Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies(NIALS), Energy Commission of Nigeria(ECN), Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission(NERC), Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and the host, NNRA.