By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor & Ben Agande

ABUJA— As part of its proactive measures to safeguard the lives of Nigerians, the Federal Government has restricted the movement of radioactive materials into and out of the country to one airport, the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.

Director-General of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, NNRA, Prof Lawrence Anikwe Dim, who disclosed the measure in an interview with Vanguard in Abuja, explained that the move was to prevent such materials from getting into wrong hands.

Similarly, Dim said the Federal Government had also made it mandatory for the all institutions and agencies requiring the use of radioactive materials for any purpose in the country to seek and obtain appropriate licences from the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority as a condition for getting such approvals.

Dim said the agency was working round the clock to ensure the safety of Nigerians and warned those who had no business using radioactive materials to keep off as its eagle-eyed personnel, working with other security agencies, were on the prowl to detect and punish offenders.

The DG said: “We have put certain measures in place to ensure that illegal materials do not enter this country, although some persons would still want to try to do so.

“But the point is that under our template, no user of radioactive material can be given any approval to import any nuclear or radioactive material into Nigeria if our license is not seen.

“To prevent the possible abuse, the NNRA has made it a law that only one airport in Nigeria, the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, is approved for the importation and transportation of radioactive materials into and out of the country.

“We need to replicate this in some other international airports such as Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano and even Abuja, so that we can also effectively monitor the movement of such materials.”