Human resource development and needs analysis for nuclear power plant deployment in Nigeria

Abstract The fulcrum of economic development is a sustainable supply of electricity. Nigeria is plagued with blackouts, with one of the lowest per capita electricity consumption in the world (circa. 120 kWh per capita). Hence, policies have been instigated to integrate electricity generation from nuclear power plants (NPP) on or before 2027. However, a critical requirement for NPP generation is the implementation of robust human resource development (HRD) programs. This paper presents the perspective of Nigeria in assessing human resources needs over the entire NPP lifecycle following the milestone approach and employing the IAEA's Nuclear Power Human Resource (NPHR) modeling tool. Three workforce organizations are in focus including the owner/operator, regulators, and construction workers following three decades timeframe (2015–2045). The results indicate that for the study period, a maximum of approximately 9045 personnel (73% construction workers, 24% owner/operator, and 3% regulators) should be directly involved in the NPP program just before the commissioning of the third NPP in 2033. However, this number decreases by about 73% (2465 personnel including 94% operator and 6% regulator) at the end of the study timeframe. The results can potentially provide clarity and guidance in HRD decision-making programs.