The Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission and Russia’s Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The parties, which agreed to cooperate in the field of nuclear education and development of the Nigerian nuclear industry, signed the agreement on Tuesday.

According to Sputnik, the Russian news agency, the agreement was signed within the framework of the 67th session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna.

Sputnik quoted the press service of the university as saying that Vera Verkhoturova, Advisor to the Rector for External Relations and Abdullahi Mati, Director of the Department of Nuclear Power Plants in the commission, signed on behalf of parties.

It said TPU and the commission plan to create joint educational programmes, including dual degree programmes with Nigerian universities, academic exchange of students, distance learning, seminars, training courses and research in the field of nuclear physics and technology.

” TPU has been training in-demand personnel for the nuclear industry for more than 70 years, and its graduates are heads of ministries and departments, heads of companies, engineering and management corps of leading nuclear industry enterprises,” Acting Rector of TPU, Leonid Sukhoy said.

“Thanks to close cooperation with Rosatom State Corporation, whose main university is the TPU, we are developing international nuclear programs.

” The university has already become a reference platform for the development of human resource capacity in the field of nuclear technologies in Indonesia, Bolivia, Egypt, and a number of other Rosatom partner countries.

” And today, Nigeria has officially joined the list of our partner countries.

” TPU will become a reference platform in Russia for training personnel in nuclear and related specialties in the interests of Nigeria.

” We are grateful for the trust, I am sure that fruitful and mutually beneficial cooperation awaits us ahead,” he said.

He added that employees of Nigeria’s energy commission are among the graduates of the TPU international educational nuclear programmes.

The graduates, he said, are now successfully applying the acquired knowledge and competencies for the development of nuclear technologies in Nigeria.

“I believe that this is just the beginning of a long-term cooperation,” he said.

Prof. Yusuf Ahmed, Chairman of the energy commission, who also attended the event, said no fewer than 40 students from Nigeria are already studying for masters and postgraduate programmes in nuclear energy.

He expressed the hope that the number will grow.