The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO Aviance) has received the federal government’s approval to handle shipments with radioactive contents in its facilities at the airports.

This is the first time a ground handling company in the aviation industry would receive such approval.

The approval, jointly conveyed to the foremost ground handling service provider by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), was contained in a communique issued at the end of their February 25, 2005, meeting in Abuja.

In the report of the communique signed on behalf of the two federal agencies by the Assistant General Manager (Legal) NNRA, Mr Jamil Salau, for the Director-General/CEO of the Authority, Dr Yau Usman Idris, the agencies stated that by virtue of the approval, “all importers and exporters of radioactive material previously affected by the closure should contact NAHCO for import and export of radioactive material which was affected by the embargo earlier imposed.”

This important decision was the highlight of a number of resolutions reached by both parties (NCAA and NNRA) at the meeting at the NNRA headquarters, Abuja, convened to deliberate on modalities for implementing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the parties on September 1, 2023.

Group Executive Director, Commercial and Business Development, NAHCO Plc, Prince Saheed Lasisi, in a statement described it as a good development for importers and exporters who have been having challenges exporting and importing shipments with radioactive contents.

“NAHCO is solving all these issues for our clients, especially the big international airlines and IOCs who require the approval granted by NAHCO to move critical shipments which have radioactive contents in and out of the country,” he stated.

The Group Managing Director/CEO, NAHCO Plc, Mr Olumuyiwa Olumekun, commended the civil aviation regulator, NCAA, and the NNRA for granting approval to NAHCO for its facilities to be used to handle materials with radioactive contents.