A group photograph of participants and experts at the event in Abuja.
The federal government says it is fully ready to ensure the deployment and use of radiation equipment in the country in such a way that there will be no harm.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Amb Nicholas Ella stated this on Monday at an ongoing meeting of African member states on radiation safety in Abuja.
Amb Ella, a lawyer, assured the gathering of Nigeria’s commitment to advancing radiation safety and security.
He recalled that the Integrated Regulatory Service (IRRS) mission held in 2017 acknowledged the pivotal role being played by the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) for the protection of people and the environment.
“The identified good practice was that NNRA conducts routine workshops and training s about the possible radiation risks associated with facilities and activities and about the processes and decisions of the regulatory body”, he stated.
The permanent secretary noted that nuclear regulators across the globe face significant challenges given the complexity of radioactive and nuclear materials, and radiation generating devices.
He advised the participants to be good ambassadors of their respective countries.
Meanwhile, experts have raised concerns about the deployment of radiation equipment across many African countries.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said many African countries lack good safety infrastructure in the use of radiation.
A programme management officer in charge of ‘Project of Safety’ at the IAEA in Vienna, Austria, Felix Wanjala, on Tuesday said radiation equipment like LINACs being used in hospitals for the treatment of cancer could become a “danger” if not properly deployed.
Some of the hospital equipment that use radiation are: radiography (x-rays) and dental x-rays, mammography, DEXA Scans (bone density) and CT scans (computed tomography scans.
“These equipment emit radiation. So, we need to use them in a safe and secure manner, and that is why we are coming in as experts in the field of radiation,” Mr Wanjala told this reporter on the sidelines of an ongoing meeting of African member states on radiation safety in Abuja.
Forty-nine participants and experts from many African countries including Egypt, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Seychelles have converged on Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, to brainstorm on how to enhance radiation safety infrastructure on the continent.
While the week-long gathering which began on 13 May is being hosted by the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), the IAEA is providing the technical support.
A director at the NNRA, Adamu Hussaini, highlighted the objectives of the event which were – to bring together “project counterparts” from African member states “to discuss and review progress made under previous safety projects.”
Mr Hussaini added that the meeting would provide a platform to share experiences and best practices to enhance radiation safety infrastructure in the region.
On his part, Wanjala said the IAEA as the world’s centre for cooperation in the nuclear field, seeks to promote the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies.
“We train people like radiation oncologists, medical physicists among others” to ensure safe use of radiation facilities, he said.
To this end, the agency assists African member states to enhance their safety infrastructure “so that they can monitor and also ensure that radiation sources are used in a safe and secure manner,” he explained.
But, Mr Wanjala noted that the IAEA “will not assist member states in terms of procurement of equipment when their safety infrastructure is not good; when we know that they cannot handle the safety of these equipment.”
“So, what we do is capacity-building by training them, we also provide some equipment for radiation monitoring.”
Similarly, he pointed out that some member states in Africa do not have laws and regulations in place to enhance safety in the field.
“So, we assist member states to develop these laws and regulations for safety. Then we also assist member states in building capacity because if we don’t have qualified persons to operate these machines, you know these machines can also be a danger because of the radiation that they emit.”
The event was declared open on Monday by Nigeria’s Minister of state for health and social welfare, Tunji Alausa.
