The Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), has lifted restriction on shipments of radioactive materials through the airports and approved the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (nahco aviance) as ground handling company for all radioactive cargoes.
NAHCO AS in a statement confirmed that it has received Federal Government’s approval to handle shipments with radioactive contents in its facilities at the airports in a first of its kind in the aviation industry.
The approval, the company said, was jointly conveyed to it by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the NNRA and was contained in a communique issued at the end of the agencies February 25, 2025, meeting in Abuja.
In the report of the communique signed on behalf of the two federal agencies by the Assistant General Manager (Legal) NNRA, Mr. Jamil Salau, for the Director-General/CEO of the Authority, Dr. Yau Usman Idris, the agencies stated that by virtue of this approval, “all importers and exporters of radioactive material previously affected by the closure should contact NAHCO for import and export of radioactive material which was affected by the embargo earlier imposed….”
This important decision was the highlight of a number of resolutions reached by both parties (NCAA and NNRA) at the meeting which held at the NNRA headquarters, Abuja convened to deliberate on modalities for implementing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the parties on September 1, 2023.
Commenting on this approval, the Group Executive Director, Commercial and Business Development, NAHCO Plc, Prince Saheed Lasisi, described this as a good development for importers and exporters who have been having challenges exporting and importing shipments with radioactive contents.
“NAHCO is solving all these issues for our clients, especially the big international airlines and IOCs who require the approval granted NAHCO to move critical shipments which have radioactive contents in and out of the country,” Lasisi was quoted in the statement.
Lasisi added that NAHCO is always delighted to support the growth of its clients.
The Group Managing Director/CEO, NAHCO Plc, Mr. Olumuyiwa Olumekun, thanked the civil aviation regulator, NCAA, and the NNRA for granting approval to NAHCO for its facilities to be used to handle materials with radioactive contents.
Olumekun pointed out that the Company has put in place clear, diligent and thorough processes that would ensure 100 percent compliance to procedures by highly – trained company professionals as they carry out these specialised functions.
Other resolutions arrived at during the meeting, apart from the authorisation granted NAHCO, include the adoption of NNRA’s implementation plan as a working document; nomination of members to form a technical working group/committee to oversee MoU implementation within 14 working days and the development of a joint action plan with timelines for key activities.
The meeting also decided to immediately start the establishment of streamlined processes for sharing relevant information and documents even as it noted NNRA’s assistance to NCAA in validating information in its State Variation Report to ICAO, ensuring the accuracy and functionality of NNRA’s listed contacts.
