The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has donated nuclear research equipment worth N150 million to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Director, Public Affairs Directorate of the institution Malam Auwalu Umar, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in 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).
Umar said the equipment worth N150 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.
The director said the donation of the equipment by IAEA followed burning beyond repairs of CERT’s Computer Control Console some years ago, adding that the centre already received the equipment which were delivered on Friday.
He said 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 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.
He commended Bala and the management staff of the university for the support to the centre, adding that ABU was the only institution in Africa with research reactors sited on its campus.
Jonah said 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.
