It is my pleasure to address you this morning on the occasion of the IAEA Regional (AFRA) Training Course on Physical Protection of Radioactive Sources organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, Austria in cooperation with the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA). I have been reliably informed that the Training Course is targeted at african countries involved in the IAEA/AFRA project AFRA I-3-RAF/0/021 and involves participants from national nuclear operating or regulatory agencies; Government Departments with responsibilities related to the physical protection of radioactive sources; and from medical or industrial centres, using radioactive sources as part of their businesses.

The Special Guest of Honour, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
This training is timely, given the increase in the applications of radioactive sources in various practices in Africa, most notable of which are Radiotherapy for Cancer Treatment; Nuclear Well-Logging in Oil and Gas Exploration; Research Reactor Operation; Irradiation for Food Preservation and Disease Control; etc. It is an important fact that most of the radioactive sources used in these applications are imported. Trans-boundary movement of radioactive sources is therefore a significant factor in our consideration of the safety and physical protection measures to be applied to radioactive sources, both during import of radioactive sources and the export of spent or disused radioactive sources. It is in this regard that we are indeed privileged to have the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service (who is the quintessential gatekeeper of the country) as the Special Guest of Honour. His presence at this occasion is a testimony to the importance attached to import/export control of radioactive sources, not only for Nigeria, but for the continent as a whole.

The African continent has shown considerable leadership in its advocacy for the safety and security of radioactive sources. It will be recalled that the First Africa Workshop on the Establishment of a Legal Framework Governing Radiation Protection, the Safety of Radiation Sources and the Safe Management of Radioactive Waste held in Addis Ababa in April 2001, expressed further support for the then Draft Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources (Code of Conduct). It adopted a "Common Position" in which it called upon the IAEA to "create a forum for African countries to consider the Code of Conduct, and give it legally binding effect so that the safe and peaceful use of nuclear technology is not compromised. Nigeria was represented at that workshop and lent its voice to this call along with other African representatives.

Africa as a responsible player in the international community recognizes and identifies with its positive and laudable efforts at achieving safety and
security of radioactive sources, especially with the requirements for trans­boundary movement of radioactive materials and, its obligations under the IAEA Illicit Trafficking in Nuclear and Radioactive Materials Database programme. As required, many African countries, as with Nigeria, have procceded to the IAEA Code of Conduct and this has inspired the development of national regulations on the safety and security of radioactive sources.
Despite these laudable efforts, Africa however faces considerable challenges in the implementation of physical protection of radioactive sources