The African Regional Co-operative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA) has appointed Prof. Maryam Aminu as member of its Programme Management Committee (AFRA- PMC).

A statement from the Public Affairs Directorate, Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, dated
Friday November 4, 2022, said that
Aminu’s selection as AFRA PMC member was endorsed at the 32nd Meeting of AFRA Representatives, which took place in Vienna, Austria, in September last year.

By this development, Prof. Maryam represents Nigeria on the Committee, whose other members were drawn from Algeria, Egypt, Mali, Morocco and South Africa. Ms. Dina Husseiny Farag, who represents Egypt on the regional body, is the Chair of the Committee with Maryam as Secretary.

Maryam, a professor of virology and immunology, is Head of Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Ali Ada, AFRA Chair, who conveyed the appointment in a letter, congratulated her on behalf of AFRA Member States. Also, a ‘Certificate of Completion’ was presented to her for attending the AFRA Committees Induction Workshop held in November last year.

Apart from the Programme Management Committee (PMC), AFRA also has two other committees whose memberships were drawn from Cameroon, Ghana, Madagascar, Zambia, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, and Sudan.

The two other regional committees are on AFRA Partnership Building and Resource Mobilization (AFRA-PBRMC), as well as AFRA High Level Steering Committee on Human Resource Development and Nuclear Knowledge (AFRA-HLSC).

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Deputy Director-General had during the AFRA Committees deliberations last year urged the organisation to focus on the “real needs and priorities” of its African region.

Referring to the limited human capital in AFRA States Parties, the IAEA Deputy Director-General further encouraged the organization to promote the establishment of regional and sub-regional training centres to pool expertise, and thus strengthen capacity to meet regional training needs.