THE ONGOING IPPAS MISSION IN NIGERIA

THE ONGOING IPPAS MISSION IN NIGERIA

The IAEA International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) Mission to Nigeria is underway. The Mission kicked off with an Opening Ceremony at Rockview Hotel, Abuja on the 3rd of July and will run till the 14th of July 2023.

The Mission, on the request of the Nigerian Government through the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) is to carry out assessment of the current status of Nigeria’s nuclear security regime and the nation's system of physical protection while comparing it with international best practices in order to make recommendations for improvement, if any.

The focal point of this mission will be Nigeria's legislative and regulatory framework for the security of radioactive material; regulatory practices in licensing, inspections and enforcement; and coordination between stakeholders involved in nuclear security. The review will cover security measures and practices at selected facilities.

To carry out this assignment effectively, a technical team comprising of eight nuclear security experts were deployed to Nigeria by the IAEA and the exercise will involve a national and facility level review.

The facilities selected to be visited and reviewed include;

i. The High Dose Radiotherapy Facility at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH)

ii. The Nigeria Research Reactor (NIRR-1) at Center for Energy Research and Training (CERT) ABU Zaria

iii. The Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF) at Nuclear Technology Center, Sheda Abuja.

The opening ceremony was graced by the DG/CEO NNRA, Management Staff of NNRA, Stakeholders from the Department of State Service (DSS), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Center for Energy Research and Training (CERT) ABU Zaria, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Defence Headquarters, Nigeria Atomic Energy Agency (NAEC) and staff of NNRA.