The Nuclear Technology Centre (NTC) houses a semi-commercial gamma irradiation facility, part of an innovative programme at SHESTCO. Without a doubt, the plant can rightly be described as one of the most modern commercial irradiation plants in the world and the only one of its kind in the West African sub-region. When fully completed, the gamma irradiation facility will have the capacity to treat over 20 metric tons of products daily. For more details, please take a look at NTC brochure.

The gamma irradiation facility will be managed with our technical partner, Siemens, who have vast experience in the management of irradiation plants. International standards of safety and regulations will be strictly adhered to for optimal efficiency and profitability.

The brochure of the gamma irradiation facility is available here in pdf format. More information on the Research Reactor component of the NTC is found here.

The management and operations team at the gamma irradiation facility of the Nuclear Technology Centre are shown below.

Dr. C. A. Adesanmi Director, Radiation Application and Safety	Dr. F.E. Osaisai Director, Reaction Engineering	E.C. Akueche	Engr. M.S. Ali	Engr. T.K. Mustapha

Engr. O.O. Sadere		Engr. O.A. Shonowo	U. Yusuf

Areas of Application of the Gamma Irradiation Facility

There are immense benefits derivable from irradiation technology and the areas of application are numerous. These benefits and applications cover all areas of human endeavour, which include food and agriculture, health care delivery and industry.

Present State of Development

The gamma irradiation plant at SHESTCO is almost completed. The components of the facility include an 80 m x 28 m single storey building with a mezzanine floor and a 2 storey office on one of the gable walls; ventilation and air conditioning; cranes, lifting gears and transportation equipment; compressed air supply; gas supply system; power supply; mechanical workshop; quality assurance; heat treatment; gas blowing workshop; electrical and electronics workshop.

In addition to the large production hall for commercial activities, eleven laboratories are attached to the facility for carrying out research and development work. The research laboratories are located in the side wings of the hall. They provide a broad range of support for comprehensive experimentation work.

The laboratories available at the gamma irradiation plant are a physical-chemical laboratory; dosimetry laboratory; two food laboratories, one for wet products such as seafood, meat and poultry and the other for dry products such as fruits and vegetables; microbiological laboratory and a culture media room; food irradiation identification laboratory; mutation breeding laboratory; sterile insect technique laboratory; two plastic laboratories, one for induction moulding machines and the other for the measurement of properties of irradiated and unirradiated plastics; photographic laboratory.

The Nuclear Technology Center also has a state-of-the art, well equipped workshop complex.

Prospects

Irradiation technology has beneficial uses such as the preservation of agricultural products, reduction of post-harvest losses thus assuring price stability, production of high yielding and disease resistant varieties of crops and plants through radiation induced mutation, radiosterilisation of medical devices, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products and packages and an improvement in the electrical, mechanical and thermal properties of plastics among others. Thus, the significance of the gamma irradiation plant at SHESTCO cannot be overemphasized.