Staff of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have undergone specialised training on nuclear emergency response, conducted by the Centre for Energy Research and Training (CERT), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
The one-day capacity-building lecture, held Friday in Kaduna, was disclosed by Sani Lokoja, NEMA’s North-West Zonal Director.
He said the training was organised to strengthen the agency’s preparedness for potential nuclear-related incidents.
“This exercise is designed to enhance our readiness for any situation involving nuclear hazards,” Lokoja said, urging participants to maximise the opportunity and deepen their understanding of nuclear risks.
He also stressed the need for sustained collaboration between NEMA and CERT to build long-term staff capacity.
Delivering the lecture, nuclear physicist Dr. Yakubu Ibrahim outlined the unique characteristics of nuclear emergencies and how they differ from conventional natural disasters.
He highlighted several gaps in national preparedness, including limited specialised training, inadequate detection equipment, weak interagency coordination, few nuclear-specific drills, and low public awareness.
Ibrahim called for a more resilient disaster-management framework anchored on early risk identification, timely notification, and effective protective actions. He identified priority investment areas such as technical capacity development, medical response capability, security logistics, and strengthened public communication.
In his closing remarks, Sulaiman Muhammad, NEMA’s Head of Operations, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to deepening collaboration with CERT in order to bolster Nigeria’s nuclear emergency preparedness architecture.
