The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has begun its transition into the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) following the setting up of an in-house commission for the implementation of the NSIB Act 2022 recently signed by President Muhammadu Buhari and gazetted by the Nigerian Supreme Court.
The Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer for AIB (now Director-General, NSIB), Engr. Akin Olateru who spoke about the Bureau’s new responsibilities through the General Manager, Public Affairs of AIB, Mr. Tunji Oketunbi said:
“The new Act will further enhance safety in all modes of transportation in the country, as serious incidents and accidents will be investigated, and recurrence prevented”, he said, adding that it was in the interest of the nation that AIB presented the bill to the Senate and House Committees on Aviation in 2020.
Olateru, whose foremost mission on taking office was to see AIB become a multimodal agency, has acknowledged the joint effort of his team in supporting the dream up to the point of its realization: “We did it together. I salute your commitment, sacrifices and determination without which we would not have achieved this”, he said.
During the last five (05) years of Engr. Olateru’s tenure as AIB’s Commissioner, the entire Nigerian aviation sector has watched in admiration as the Bureau has grown in leaps and bounds; conquering novel frontiers and pioneering projects within its jurisdiction to ensure the industry’s safety. Reason why the Managing Director (rtd.), United States’ National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), recently made the following comments about the NSIB boss:
“I can confidently say that the gains and strides made by AIB under your leadership have been extraordinary, if not all together unprecedented. Consequently, the organization has become a world-class and premiere accident investigation organization worthy of global recognition for its contribution to aviation safety, and as an exemplary model of being an enterprising government agency.”
“The growth, expansion and modernization of AIB, including physical structures, launch of the training centre, modernization, compilation of a competent and professional staff, connectivity to cyberspace through a prominent website; the admirable use of apps and interaction with mainstream media have been fabulous”, he noted.
Apart from the numerous agreements signed between AIB and certain home organizations like the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Navy, the University of Lagos amongst others, the indefatigable AIB chief has also engaged the Accident Investigation Bureaus of other nations, all with aviation safety in mind.
The most recent of such agreements was signed on Monday December 5, 2022 in Abuja – a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NSIB and AIB-Saudi Arabia (AIB KSA) to enhance safety in both countries.
Speaking at the event, Olateru said: “You have to understand that aviation is universal, and the rule of the game is cooperation. There is no country that is an island. We need to work together as a team to enhance safety. Yes, we are both established; we have equipment and human capital, but there are a lot of lessons we can learn from each other. It is all about improving the safety of the flying public”, he stated.
The Director-General, AIB-KSA, Abdulelah O. Felemban, concurred with his NSIB counterpart when he said, “There are a lot of lessons to be learnt from accident investigation. The benefit for both of us is that we get to learn from each other and to exchange information and knowledge”, he added.
It should be noted that prior to penning this agreement, the Bureau had signed other MoUs with France BEA, Sierra-Leone, Benin Republic as well as Sao-Tome and Principe. Having released 194 out of the total 252 AIB safety recommendations and 58 out of 71 total AIB reports, it is clear that this administration does not rest on its laurels. With such a legacy left by its current chief, the sky is truly the starting point for the Bureau going forward.
