NAEC to Deploy Nuclear Science for Power Generation

Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC), in partnership with the Centre for Energy Research and Training (CERT) at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria is set to leverage nuclear science and technology to enhance electric power generation in Nigeria.

Prof Yusuf-Aminu Ahmed, chairman of NAEC, disclosed this during the 20th Anniversary Symposium of Nigeria’s first Nuclear Research Reactor-1 (NNR-1) in Zaria.

Prof Ahmed highlighted the accumulated expertise in nuclear power at the center, declaring Nigeria’s readiness to advance to the next stage of power generation through nuclear reactors.

“We have utilised the reactor for research and development extensively, and now we are poised to employ it for electricity generation,” Prof Ahmed said.

He further stated that President Bola Tinubu has tasked the commission with contributing to Nigeria’s clean energy initiatives, with the nuclear energy programme set to play a significant role, and revealed the signing of intergovernmental agreements with some vendors.

Sen. George Akume, secretary to the government of the federation, (SGF) commended the 20 years of safe operation of the nuclear research reactor as a testament to Nigeria’s commitment to the safe application of nuclear energy.

The SGF  underscored that the successful operation of the nuclear research reactor paved the way for considering a nuclear reactor for electricity generation, echoing President Tinubu’s advocacy for nuclear energy in Nigeria’s power sources.

On his part, Prof Sunday Jonah, director of the center, emphasized the event’s purpose of celebrating two decades of safe operation, maintenance, and utilisation of the NNR-1.

Despite the achievements celebrated, Prof Jonah, however, expressed concern over a purported attempt by NAEC to wrest control of the center from the university through the proposed NAEC Bill 2022 and cautioned that such a move would contradict the original vision of the center’s establishment within universities, designed to foster a culture of research and development.