Assessing and Enhancing Nuclear Security Culture: A Nigerian Case Study

A national culture is difficult to define, however key elements of national cultures are the key fundamental principles that make up an organizational culture. A country like Nigeria is a great example of a nation with a rich, strong and, at times, complex, national culture. This paper assesses the unique attributes within the Nigerian culture and then uses these attributes to evaluate its organizational culture within the nuclear context. From this perspective, this paper will highlight the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) definition and guidance on nuclear security culture and apply these IAEA principles to the core elements of the Nigerian culture. This paper will conclude with recommendations and enhancements based on the concurrent assessments of both the IAEA nuclear security culture and Nigerian national culture. This is very relevant as Nigeria is a nation that has started the process of adopting nuclear power for electricity generation in order to meet national development goals. Presently, the country operates a research reactor (NIRR-1) with highly enriched uranium (HEU) core as its fuel, a Gamma Irradiation Facility for shelf-life improvement of food, neutron sources for well logging activities, and other services that use ionizing radiation. A fortified and robust nuclear security culture, based on Nigerian culture, will promote security and safety within the nuclear community.