Buhari appoints Yusuf Ahmed as new NAEC Chairman
Buhari appoints Yusuf Ahmed as new NAEC Chairman
President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Yusuf Ahmed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) for an initial period of three years.
The appointment was confirmed in a statement signed by the Director of Information for the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, and obtained late Friday.
Ahmed’s appointment is expected to take effect from 3 September, 2021.
The statement reads in part: “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Yusuf Aminu Ahmed as Chairman/CEO of Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) for an initial term of three (3) years in accordance with the provision of section 4 (1) of the NAEC establishment Act of 1976.”
NAEC was established in 1976 with the mandate to construct and maintain nuclear installations for the purpose of generating electricity, undertake research into matters relating to the peaceful use of atomic energy as well as educate and train persons in matters with respect to atomic energy and radioactive substances, among others.
Ahmed is a professor of Nuclear Physics with several years of research in nuclear instrumentation and spectrometry. Until the appointment, he was the acting chairman of NAEC.
Ahmed has received trainings from various international laboratories on reactor physics, nuclear data, nuclear safety, radioisotopes production, waste management, decommissioning and radio analytical techniques.
He started his career in nuclear science and technology in year 2000 at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria as part of the academic staff team of the Nigeria Research Reactor -1 (NIRR-1) at the Centre for Energy Research and Training (CERT).
He rose through the ranks to become a professor of nuclear physics in 2017 and director and head of laboratories of the centre between 2015 and 2019.
He has served in various national and international committees on nuclear safety and security. (VON)
