Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Patience N. Oyekunle, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to effective inter-agency coordination and strengthened institutional collaboration during a familiarization visit to the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, NNRA, in Abuja.
Mrs. Oyekunle expressed appreciation to the Director-General and Management of NNRA for the warm reception accorded to her and her team, describing the engagement as timely and strategic. She explained that the visit was conceived as a familiarization and relationship-building exercise rather than an inspection, aimed at fostering constructive dialogue, mutual understanding and institutional alignment.
She noted that Nigeria’s energy landscape is increasingly complex, dynamic and interconnected, placing heightened responsibility on regulatory institutions such as NNRA to safeguard public safety, ensure technical integrity and support national energy planning within clearly defined legal and institutional frameworks.
According to the Permanent Secretary, it is imperative for the Ministry, as the supervising and coordinating authority, to maintain a clear and up-to-date understanding of the mandates, operational realities and strategic priorities of its agencies, particularly where mandates intersect or administrative interfaces arise.
Mrs. Oyekunle added that effective coordination extends to areas such as senior-level human resource management processes, administrative escalation mechanisms, budgetary coordination and engagement with central government authorities, noting that early clarification of these interfaces helps prevent institutional friction and ensures smoother issue resolution.
She further emphasized that effective governance goes beyond rigid regulatory boundaries, requiring continuous communication, transparency and collaboration on matters of mutual institutional interest, including cross-cutting initiatives that advance national objectives.
Describing the visit as an opportunity to listen and learn, the Permanent Secretary said it would enable the Ministry to gain deeper insight into NNRA’s organizational structure, operational priorities and current challenges, while reaffirming its commitment to constructive engagement, institutional support and respectful coordination.
In his remarks, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Dr. Yau Idris, outlined the agency’s mandate and operations, explaining that NNRA issues licences across several sectors for activities involving the use of radioactive materials.
Dr. Idris disclosed that the petroleum industry accounts for over 70 per cent of the Authority’s licensing activities, underscoring NNRA’s strategic relevance to Nigeria’s energy sector. He added that the agency also covers sectors such as health, manufacturing, mining, construction, agriculture and water resources, research institutes, and other bodies that utilize radioactive materials.
He also explained the organizational structure of the Authority and highlighted some of the operational and institutional challenges confronting NNRA in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities.
Both parties expressed confidence that the engagement would further strengthen collaboration between the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, and contribute to improved coordination, effective regulation and sound governance within Nigeria’s evolving energy sector.
The familiarization engagement ended with a guided tour of NNRA’s facilities, offering the Permanent Secretary and her team firsthand insight into the Authority’s operational environment and technical infrastructure.
