By Tordue Salem

ABUJA — Speaker of House of Representatives,  Dimeji Bankole, has called for sectoral collaboration and cooperation towards the attainment of Nuclear Energy for the advancement of technology in Nigeria.

Bankole made the call while declaring open a Public Hearing on Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard Bill jointly organised by the House Committees on Petroleum (Upstream) and Science and Technology Wednesday in Abuja.

Technology, critical inprotecting humanity
The Speaker who was represented by the Chief Whip of House, Emeka Ihedioha, said technological acquisition and innovation have become critical factors in safeguarding humanity from man-induced and natural risk factors, adding that the need for science and technology adaptation in the extractive industry cannot be over-emphasised.
According to the speaker, many UN reports have argued that insufficient financing of science and technology acquisition and innovation is a major challenge facing development. This problem, he added, is aggravated by dearth of engagement by universities and other academic centres in research collaboration.
“Technological innovation requires collaboration between policy-makers and researchers. Except there is sustained interaction between these categories of professionals, we cannot have integrated approach to associated technological development in the extractive and other related industries”, he said.

Speaker assures on  enabling legislations
While hoping that the public hearing will generate policy considerations and legislative framework for engendering the desired collaboration among key stakeholders, the Speaker assured the readiness of the legislature to continue to devise legislative facilities that would help attain proficiency in the use of technology in oil exploration and environmental safety and sustainability.
In his brief remarks, Rep. Bassey Edet Otu, Chairman, Committee on Petroleum Resources, disclosed that the use of nuclear materials and radioactive sources in Nigeria was a product of an agreement in 1994 by the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, to donate a Miniature Neutron Source Reactor, MNSR, to Nigeria under a Technical Cooperation Project, TCP.
“Accordingly, and as required by the International Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguards regime, regulatory control of practices involving nuclear materials and radioactive sources could no longer be carried out without legal and regulatory framework. This was what gave birth to the Nuclear Safety and Protection Act in August 1995 being a minimum requirement by the IAEA for the progress of Technical Cooperation Projects to be carried out in Nigeria”

Project started in 1995
He hinted that the project commenced in 1995 but added that the installation was only completed in 1999 and by that time the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, NNRA, was yet to be established. He said under the Convention on Nuclear Safety, CNS, Nigeria could not operate a research reactor without establishment of NNRA.