NSIB MOVES TO STRENGTHEN ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS ACROSS TRANSPORT SECTORS

By: Safiya Abdulrahim Dabban

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) is taking steps to strengthen its capacity to investigate accidents across Nigeria’s aviation, maritime, rail and road transport sectors.

NSIB Director-General, Captain Alex Bade, disclosed this while speaking with journalists, stressing that the Bureau’s mandate now extends beyond aviation, where it previously operated as the Accident Investigation Bureau under the Ministry of Aviation.

Bade said the NSIB is working with relevant agencies, including the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), to reduce accidents and fatalities, particularly on the nation’s waterways.

He disclosed that several maritime accident investigations are ongoing, with five final reports awaiting stakeholders’ comments before publication.

The NSIB boss identified inadequate funding and equipment as major challenges facing the Bureau. He specifically noted the lack of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), which he said are needed to recover evidence and bodies from underwater accident sites.

Bade stressed that NSIB investigations are non-punitive and designed to identify safety gaps and prevent future accidents. He assured stakeholders that the Bureau would continue collaborating with relevant agencies to make transportation safer across the country.