Nigeria's Atomic Energy Commission Signs MoU with Russian University"

•Nigeria's Atomic Energy Commission signs Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Russian university

• Collaboration to strengthen the nuclear expertise within Nigeria

The Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission and Russia's Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) solidifying their collaboration in the realm of nuclear education and the advancement of Nigeria's nuclear sector.

The agreement was formalized during the 67th session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna, as reported by the Russian news agency Sputnik.

The signing ceremony saw Vera Verkhoturova, Advisor to the Rector for External Relations of TPU, and Abdullahi Mati, Director of the Department of Nuclear Power Plants in the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, sign on behalf of their respective institutions.

Under this partnership, TPU and the commission are set to develop joint educational programs, including dual-degree initiatives with Nigerian universities, student academic exchanges, distance learning opportunities, seminars, training courses, and research endeavors in the realm of nuclear physics and technology.

Leonid Sukhoy, Acting Rector of TPU, highlighted the university's rich legacy of training personnel for the nuclear industry spanning more than seven decades. He also mentioned TPU's role as a reference platform for human resource development in nuclear technologies in various countries, including Indonesia, Bolivia, Egypt, and now Nigeria.

The collaboration is expected to further strengthen the nuclear expertise within Nigeria, as many employees of the country's energy commission have already benefited from TPU's international educational nuclear programs and are actively contributing to the development of nuclear technologies in Nigeria.

Prof. Yusuf Ahmed, Chairman of the energy commission, shared that Nigeria has a significant number of students currently pursuing master's and postgraduate programs in nuclear energy at TPU and expressed optimism about an increase in this number as the collaboration progresses. This partnership marks the beginning of a promising and enduring cooperation between the two entities.