The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, has urged the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA) to strengthen the enforcement of regulations governing the use of ionising radiation across all sectors in order to safeguard public health and national security.
Dr. Salako made the call on Tuesday in Abuja during the National Oncology Symposium with the theme “Medical Use of Radioactive Substances in Nigeria.”
He said the NNRA must act as a “police” for the radioactive sector by being more assertive and visible in enforcing compliance, warning that lax regulation could expose the nation to serious health and safety risks.
“Your Director-General is like the Inspector-General of the radioactive sector; you cannot operate as a police by being silent — you have to be loud,” the minister said.
“If, as a minister, I am hearing for the first time that only three out of 15 of our institutions have the requisite licensing from the NNRA, it means we are not speaking loud enough.”
Dr. Salako expressed concern over the low level of compliance with regulatory standards, even among federal health institutions, stressing that all must obey the law.
He commended the NNRA for its efforts in promoting the safe and ethical use of radioactive materials but cautioned the agency against citing funding constraints as an excuse for weak oversight.
The minister noted that under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Nigeria had made progress in strengthening its health system and expanding cancer care infrastructure, including the installation of equipment that emits ionising radiation.
He, however, warned that while radiation was beneficial in medical diagnosis and treatment, it also posed risks such as cancer, cataracts, infertility, birth defects, and potential security threats if not properly managed.
Dr. Salako disclosed that an assessment by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found that although Nigeria’s regulatory oversight was effective, some critical gaps remained — including the absence of Radiation Diagnostic Reference Levels (DRLs), which are benchmarks for ensuring patient safety in medical imaging.
He directed the National Nuclear Medicine Technical Working Group to collaborate with the NNRA to develop these reference levels urgently and instructed the agency to immediately begin strict enforcement of compliance in all public and private facilities across the country.
The minister also revealed that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare was implementing a five-year plan to establish or upgrade at least six cancer centres of excellence annually, with a goal of ensuring that every state has one by 2031.
According to him, the initiative, which is part of the Health Sector Renewal Investment Programme, aims to reduce medical tourism, which costs Nigeria about $1 billion annually, with 40 percent spent on cancer care.
In his presentation titled “Regulatory Framework on Medical Use of Radioactive Substances,” the Director-General of NNRA, Prof. Idris Yau, represented by Mrs. Fatima Ige, said the agency was mandated to regulate the application of ionising radiation in healthcare and other sectors.
He disclosed that the NNRA had shut down some non-compliant facilities and, with support from the IAEA and the U.S. Department of Energy, evacuated radioactive sources to the Temporary Radioactive Waste Management Facility in Zaria.
Prof. Yau assured the minister that ongoing government interventions would strengthen the agency’s capacity to fulfil its mandate.
Also speaking, the President of the Nigerian Cancer Society, Prof. Abidemi Omonisi, lamented the shortage of anti-cancer drugs and bureaucratic bottlenecks in their supply chain, warning that more pharmaceutical companies might exit the country if the challenges persist.
He described the high cost of cancer treatment as “financially toxic” for patients, noting that many survivors could no longer afford medication and had resorted to prayers or traditional remedies.
Prof. Omonisi also expressed concern that access to the National Cancer Health Fund had become increasingly difficult, revealing that a fact-finding committee had been set up to investigate the issues surrounding its implementation.
“It is time to take the bull by the horns and address the barriers to cancer care in Nigeria,” he said.
The symposium brought together stakeholders from the health, nuclear, and regulatory sectors to deliberate on safety, compliance, and policy frameworks for the use of radiation in medical practice.
