Security Sector Perspectives on Nuclear and Radiological Security in Nigeria

Nuclear material and radioactive sources are ubiquitous in various aspects of Nigeria’s economy including the medical, industrial, agricultural and research sectors. Their use contributes significantly to Nigeria’s GDP but could be a source of threat should they fall into wrong hands. Thus, securing nuclear and other radioactive material holds significant implications for health, the environment, economy and national security. To this end, legislative, regulatory and institutional frameworks are emplaced to secure them in use, storage and transport, including disused sources in Nigeria, with the security sector playing a pivotal role within these frameworks. This perspective is oftentimes not accorded adequate attention in literature. In this regard and given Nigeria's current evolving security landscape, this paper maps out key actors in Nigeria’s security sector such as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and Nigerian Custom Service (NCS) as well as the regulator, Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NNRA) and licensee, among others, vis-aviz nuclear and radiological security. The paper further x-rays existing legislative and institutional frameworks and highlights the collective roles of security agencies as key actors in combating illicit trafficking of radioactive material as well as identifies areas of improvement in the current approach. It argues that Nigeria’s security agencies have demonstrated commitment to securing nuclear and radioactive material within the existing robust legislative, institutional and regulatory framework, though efforts needs to be sustained to bolster nuclear security in the country. This is in the area of fostering increased inter-agency collaboration, human resource development, training and capacity building of a skilled workforce, enhance awareness creation among personnel, leveraging international cooperation and partnerships as well as procurement and use of state-of-the-art detection equipment. This is all with a view to countering emerging threats and effectively preventing the theft, loss, or malicious use of nuclear material, thereby safeguarding Nigeria’s population and contributing to global nuclear and radiological security efforts.