Born October 1, 1958 in Koluama, Bayelsa State of Nigeria, Dr. Franklin Erepamo Osaisai is a Nuclear Engineer and Energy Scientist by professional training. He had his early High School education in his native Bayelsa State and graduated at the Distinction Division in the West African School Certificate Examination in June 1977. He had his undergraduate training as a pioneer student at the University of Port Harcourt in the School of Chemical Sciences and graduated at the top of his class and School, respectively, with an Honours degree in Chemistry with a minor in Physics in May 1981.

Buoyed by a merit graduate scholarship award, he received his engineering and graduate education at the prestigious University of California, Berkeley, California, where he took his Masters’ and Doctoral degrees in Nuclear Engineering in 1984 and 1987, respectively, with some academic honours and awards which included the Chancellor’s Patent Fund Award and the Newhouse Foundation Fellowship.

Dr. Osaisai established his professional and academic career at the University of California at Berkeley, California and the University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria where he had taught and researched, with interests in the fields of Nuclear Reactor Engineering, Energy Systems Integration, Numerical Modeling, Nuclear Instrumentation and Computational Transport Phenomena. 

He was appointed as the pioneer Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) in April 2006 by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Prior to this appointment, he was the Director of the Nuclear Technology Centre at the Sheda Science and Technology Complex, Abuja. On the reconstitution of NAEC to operate as a full-fledged Commission in March 2011, as provided for in the enabling Act, Dr. Osaisai was elevated and appointed as Chairman/Chief Executive of NAEC. This has further strengthened NAEC to discharge its primary responsibility to lead the national effort in planning and development of the requisite nuclear power infrastructure for the implementation of the national nuclear electricity programme.

As Chairman/CEO of NAEC, he is also responsible for the budgeting, staffing, coordination and supervision of the management and operations of seven national nuclear energy research centres, and coordinates international cooperation and educational outreach for manpower training and capacity building programmes in support of the national nuclear technology programmes. The success of Dr. Osaisai’s professional career is deeply manifested in the progress so far achieved in the formulation, design and implementation of Nigeria’s nuclear power programme under his pioneering role and able leadership.  

Dr. Osaisai is an accomplished professional nuclear engineer, energy scientist and academic, as well as a consummate administrator. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Nigerian Institute of Physics and the Science Association of Nigeria, respectively, and also holds membership of many other professional bodies, including the American Nuclear Society, the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management and the Chemical Society of Nigeria, amongst others. He is also a recipient of the University of Port Harcourt “Distinguished Alumnus Award”, and also currently serves as a Member of the Council of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering.  

He is also, currently, Nigeria’s Governor on the Board of Governors of the Vienna based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He had also previously served in this capacity on the IAEA Board from 2006 to 2008 and had represented, and continues to represent Nigeria in various International High Level and Ministerial Conferences on nuclear power. He has been the National Liaison Officer of Nigeria to the IAEA since 2006. He had also served as the National Coordinator, as well as the Chairperson of the African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA).

He also coordinates the activities of the Vienna based Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) in Nigeria, including the management of the CTBT National Data Centre, and served as the Vice-Chairperson for Africa of the Preparatory Commission of the CTBTO for the period 2009-2010. He also served as a pioneer member of the AFRA High-Level Steering Committee on Human Resource Development and Nuclear Knowledge Management. He is a member and currently, the Chair of the IAEA Technical Working Group on Nuclear Power Infrastructure. He had also chaired several international conferences and meetings on nuclear technology development and applications.

Dr. Osaisai has also made scholarly contributions to knowledge in engineering, energy policy and technology management, as well as in science education through publications in the fields of Nuclear Science and Engineering. He is the author of two books and co-author of three others in specialized areas of the Physical Sciences and Engineering. He also has to his credit, dozens of publications in journal articles, conference papers and monographs, with significant international exposure. He is happily married to an accomplished technocrat and administrator, Emontonghan, and the family is blessed with five children.

SPECIALIZATIONS

• Reactor Engineering, Nuclear Materials, Energy Systems Integration and Numerical Modelling