Speaker
Amina Uthman
(NIGERIAN NUCLEAR REGULATORY AUTHORITY, Nigeria)
Description
Nigeria’s growing interest in nuclear technology for peaceful uses raises concerns for safeguards and proliferation especially as it continues with her nuclear power program. According to the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Act 19 of 1995, the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) shall “perform all necessary functions to enable Nigeria meet its national and international safeguards and safety obligations in the application of nuclear energy and ionizing radiation”.
Nigeria is Party to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty and has a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and an Additional Protocol in force. Furthermore, the country has a State Systems of Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Material in place.
This paper therefore seeks to provide information on the activities of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), challenges and possible solutions in meeting up with the Nigeria’s obligations under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and discusses the establishment of a safeguards regulatory framework in Nigeria.
These involves the development of regulations and guidance documents and the use of the NNRA’s basic tool in the implementation of safeguards at nuclear facility;the State System of Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Materials (SSAC). A complete and accurate report is sent in a timely fashion to the IAEA in a format based on subsidiary arrangement with the IAEA and Nigeria. The IAEA verifies this information by conducting an annual safeguards inspection exercise. The use of safeguards-related equipment and the knowledge and skills required by Safeguards Officers to perform their jobs are major challenges of the regulatory body.
The interaction with other countries will provide for exchange of technical expertise and knowledge that will help strengthen the capacity of NNRA in discharging its safeguards obligations.
| Country or International Organization | Nigeria |
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Primary author
Amina Uthman
(NIGERIAN NUCLEAR REGULATORY AUTHORITY, Nigeria)
Co-author
Ms
Zainab Sani
(NIGERIAN NUCLEAR REGULATORY AUTHORITY)
