President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the relocation of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), shifting its supervisory oversight from the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to direct reporting under the Presidency.
The decision, conveyed via a State House correspondence dated March 5, 2026, and transmitted to the Minister of Aviation for immediate implementation on March 11, addresses a longstanding structural issue. The NSIB, established under Act No. 35 of 2022 (replacing the former Accident Investigation Bureau), is mandated to investigate accidents across multiple transport modes including aviation, marine, rail, and tracked vehicles.
However, its previous placement under the Aviation Ministry created inconsistencies, as the ministry primarily focuses on aviation and lacks cross-sectoral authority or the necessary neutrality for impartial probes involving other transport domains.
By moving the NSIB to report directly to the Presidency, the administration aims to align Nigeria's transport safety framework with global best practices. Independent bodies like the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board operate outside regulatory ministries to ensure unbiased investigations, focus on root causes and prevention, and maintain public trust without institutional pressures.
The presidential directive also instructs the Attorney-General of the Federation to propose amendments to the NSIB Establishment Act 2022, reflecting this change, and submit them to the National Assembly for legislative approval.
This reform is expected to enhance the bureau's effectiveness in identifying systemic risks across Nigeria's expanding transport networks, boost international credibility with global safety regulators, and enable accident findings to more directly inform national policy, regulatory improvements, and safer systems nationwide. It resolves prior debates, including the ministry's earlier stance favoring retention under aviation oversight, marking a key step in strengthening independent, multimodal transport safety governance in the country.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com