Nuclear, Radiological Emergency: NNRA builds capacity of staff

Nigeria Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), has begun a four-day capacity building for regulatory officers regarding nuclear and radiological emergencies.

At the opening ceremony which was held Monday in Abuja, the chief executive of the agency, Dr. Idris Yau, expressed the imperative of having well-trained and suitable local manpower readily available to manage unexpected nuclear power issues.

According to him, it was compulsory for the country to have radiological emergencies being performed primarily by qualified local officers with great confidence and in compliance with national and international standards.

Represented by the Director of Nuclear Safety, Physical Security and Safeguards, Dr Nasir Bello, Yau stated that the training was aimed at establishing and improving proper and adequate mechanisms for responding to radiological and nuclear emergencies throughout the country.

This step, he said, will help reduce the number of affected and exposed people as well as the gravity of radiological injuries in case of any nuclear or radiological accident.

He informed that over 40 officers from the head office, 11 regional and state offices as well as one support organisation from the University of Ibadan are participating in the training.

The Acting Director General, Yau stated that the conventions of Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and Assistance in case of a nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency both place specific obligations on countries that are parties to the conventions and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

For him, protection of workers from radiation, safety and security of radioactive sources, safeguards of nuclear materials and physical protection of nuclear facilities and installations constitute the major regulatory functions of NNRA.

Hence, “the need to have personnel carrying out regulatory functions attaining a high level of competence cannot be overemphasized”, he said.

Also speaking, Assistant General Manager, Emergency Preparedness and Response Division, Saiyidi Sulaiman, stated that training was essential for the minimum capability to be able to handle emergencies.

“It is very necessary to have plans on the ground because unexpected is bound to happen from time to time.

“We have to exercise such plans by evaluating the preparedness and mitigate the cause of it. We have facilities, these radiators cannot be touched or felt except they are detected by the equipment. We have that equipment and you can only measure the level with equipment and also use equipment to decontaminate the areas affected.”

NNRA was established in 2001 by the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Act 19 of 1995 and charged with the responsibility of nuclear safety and radiological regulation.