The Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, NNRA, and the European Union, EU, have commenced a five-day expert mission aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s regulatory capacity for the management of radioactive waste.
The five-day mission, organised under the European Union’s Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation (INSC) Africa Programme, is being held from September 7 to 11, 2026, at the NNRA Headquarters in Abuja.
Declaring the mission open, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the NNRA, Dr. Yau Idris, appreciated the EU and the INSC Africa Programme for their continued support towards strengthening nuclear and radiation safety in Nigeria.
Dr. Idris said effective implementation of the Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Regulations, 2023, requires a robust regulatory framework supported by clear regulatory guidance, technical competence, inspection tools and safety assessment capabilities.
The mission brings together international experts, including Mr. Mika Markkanen of Finland and Ms. Nicola Burianová of the Czech Republic, alongside NNRA experts and representatives of the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission, NAEC, the Centre for Energy Research and Training, CERT, and the National Hospital.
The experts are expected to assess Nigeria’s existing regulatory framework against the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, GSR Part 5 requirements, identify regulatory gaps and priorities, and develop internal procedures and guidance for radioactive waste management.
Areas of focus include licensing, safety assessment, waste characterisation and classification, storage, regulatory inspections, radioactive source lifecycle control and radioactive discharges.
The mission is expected to produce a gap analysis against IAEA GSR Part 5 and SSG-45, priority recommendations, regulatory guidance and internal procedures, as well as a roadmap for follow-up actions.
The NNRA said the exercise would further strengthen Nigeria’s commitment to nuclear and radiation safety through international cooperation, technical capacity development and regulatory excellence.