The Ministry of Petroleum Resources has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to stronger inter-agency coordination and institutional collaboration following a familiarisation visit to the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) in Abuja.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Patience N. Oyekunle, led the visit on Friday, January 23, 2026, describing the engagement as timely and strategic. She noted that the visit was designed as a relationship-building and familiarisation exercise, rather than an inspection, aimed at promoting constructive dialogue, mutual understanding and institutional alignment.
Mrs. Oyekunle said Nigeria’s evolving and increasingly complex energy landscape places greater responsibility on regulatory institutions such as the NNRA to ensure public safety, maintain technical integrity and support national energy planning within established legal and institutional frameworks.
She emphasised the importance of the Ministry, as the supervising authority, maintaining a clear understanding of the mandates, operational realities and strategic priorities of its agencies, particularly where responsibilities intersect. According to her, effective coordination is also critical in areas such as senior-level human resource management, administrative escalation processes, budgetary alignment and engagement with central government institutions.
The Permanent Secretary added that early clarification of these administrative interfaces helps prevent institutional friction, supports smooth issue resolution and enhances overall governance. She stressed that effective regulation goes beyond rigid boundaries and requires continuous communication, transparency and collaboration on cross-cutting initiatives that advance national objectives.
Describing the visit as an opportunity to listen and learn, Mrs. Oyekunle said it would enable the Ministry to gain deeper insight into NNRA’s organisational structure, operational priorities and challenges, while reaffirming its commitment to constructive engagement and institutional support.
In his remarks, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the NNRA, Dr. Yau Idris, outlined the Authority’s mandate, noting that it licenses activities involving radioactive materials across multiple sectors. He disclosed that the petroleum industry accounts for more than 70 per cent of the Authority’s licensing activities, highlighting NNRA’s strategic relevance to Nigeria’s energy sector.
Dr. Idris added that the Authority also regulates the use of radioactive materials in health, manufacturing, mining, construction, agriculture, water resources, research institutions and other sectors. He further highlighted NNRA’s organisational structure and outlined some of the operational and institutional challenges facing the agency.
Both parties expressed confidence that the engagement would strengthen collaboration between the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the NNRA, contributing to improved coordination, effective regulation and sound governance in Nigeria’s energy sector.
The visit concluded with a guided tour of NNRA’s facilities, providing the Permanent Secretary and her team with firsthand insight into the Authority’s operational environment and technical infrastructure.
