IAEA Donates ₦150million Nuclear Research Equipment to ABU Zaria

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has donated nuclear research equipment to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

The equipment, upgraded Instrumentation and Control System (I&C) of the Nigeria Research Reactor-1 (NIRR-1) have been acquired for installation at the university’s Centre for Energy Research and Training (CERT).

Malam Auwalu Umar, Director, Public Affairs Directorate of the institution disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Zaria. Umar said the equipment worth ₦150 million were procured from the China Institute of Atomic Energy, Beijing, the designers of the research reactors, under the IAEA Purchase Order issued in 2022.

He added that the donation of the equipment by IAEA followed burning beyond repairs of CERT’s Computer Control Console some years ago. He explained that the centre already received the equipment which were delivered on Friday.

According to Umar, a four-member team of Chinese experts arrived in Zaria on Sunday for the installation of the upgraded systems at the centre scheduled to commence on Monday.

“When completed, the project will increase the capabilities of the research reactors in terms of operations, safety and utilization,” Umar said.

The Director of the centre, Prof. Sunday Jonah, who led the Chinese experts on a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kabiru Bala. Jonah told the vice-chancellor that the team led by Prof. Yiguo Li of the Research Reactors Department, China Institute of Atomic Energy, would round off the work in the next 10 days.

While commending Bala and the management staff of the university for the support to the centre, the director also said that ABU was the only institution in Africa with research reactors sited on its campus.

Speaking further on the project, Jonah said that the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) were fully aware of the development.

The vice-chancellor, Prof. Kabiru Bala, expressed delight over the arrival of the Chinese experts for the installation, stressing that the project would greatly add value to the research activities being carried out at the centre.