The Chairman/CEO of National Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC), Dr. Franklin Erepamo Osaisai, has ended his tenure after spending 11 years as the pioneer head.
While handing over to Professor Simon P. Malam yesterday, Osaisai said though NAEC was signed into law by Decree 46 of 1976, it was activated in April 2006 and the board inaugurated in July.
He said during the 11 years, his team worked on implementing the three-phase roadmap which included training manpower, developing a regulatory framework and getting a site for nuclear energy in Nigeria.
The third phase, which he said has not been reached, was getting into contractual agreements for the construction of nuclear power plants.
NAEC has plans to facilitate the construction of 4,000 megawatts (mw) Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) to boost power supply.
The commission in 2015 named Geregu in Kogi State and Itu in Akwa Ibom State as possible sites for the first phase of the power plants.
The outgoing chairman said he constituted a presidential technical committee to evaluate the progress in the country’s nuclear technology roadmap, adding that the report would be presented to the federal government for approval and implementation soon.
The interim Chairman, Prof. Malam, said he assumed office April 1and lauded his predecessor for implementing government’s charge to having nuclear power in the energy mix.
