NNRA trains 40 officers on nuclear emergency response

The Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) is training 40 regulatory officers on the handling of nuclear and radiological emergencies.

Speaking at the 4-day emergency preparedness and response training on Monday in Abuja, the Director General of NNRA, Dr Yau Idris, said NNRA licences x-ray laboratories, hospitals and industries which must have approved emergency preparedness plans.

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Idris said: “We have 40 people at this workshop. Apart from the head office, we have 12 offices comprising 11 regional and state offices and one technical support office at the University of Ibadan, and all of them are represented.”

Nigeria has a research nuclear reactor in Zaria, a gamma irradiation plant in Abuja and proposed to build nuclear power plants with sites in Geregu (Kogi) and Itu (Akwa Ibom).

The NNRA boss, represented by the General Manager, Nuclear Safety Physical Security and Safeguards, Dr Nasiru Bello, also said: “There is the national emergency preparedness response for which NNRA must perform (in case of an accident or incident). Without being properly trained, you cannot perform this role very well.

“The objective of NNRA is that there should be no nuclear or radiological emergency but when it occurs, there should be preparedness to mitigate some of the consequences in case when this happens,” Idris said.

The General Manager, Authorisation and Enforcement, Dr Adamu Hussaini, urged the participants on keen attention noting that emergency preparedness and response are key in the operation of radiological activities in Nigeria.

On his part, the General Manager, Administration and Finance, Mr Mathias Vyonku, said the NNRA is not taking chances as Nigeria progresses with nuclear and radiological activities.

The trainer and AGM, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Saiyadi Sulaiman, said NNRA has a national emergency preparedness response centre to track all safety needs remotely.

A regulatory officer, Kaduna zonal office, Fatima Bashir, said: “This will definitely help me do my job better than before on nuclear safety in Nigeria.”