The Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA) has named Engr. Nwanyanwu Henry Aniagolu, MSc, FCAI, COREN, as its Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, entrusting the veteran air safety specialist with driving institutional reform and strengthening independent investigation capability across member states in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 and associated Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).
Engr. Aniagolu transitions to the BAGAIA helm from the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), where he serves as General Manager, Transport Investigation. In that capacity, he has been pivotal in elevating multimodal accident investigation protocols and reinforcing Nigeria’s State Safety Programme (SSP) architecture. Recognized for his technical proficiency in aviation occurrence analysis, he has functioned as Investigator-in-Charge (IIC) on several Category 2 and 3 accidents and serious incidents. His inquiry leadership, marked by forensic rigor and systems-thinking, has produced safety recommendations that have materially contributed to recurrence mitigation and enhanced safety outcomes within the sub-region.
At the multilateral level, Engr. Aniagolu has represented Nigeria on the ICAO Accident Investigation (AIG) Panel, participating in the evolution of global SARPs governing AIG methodology, investigation management, and final report standards. He has likewise represented NSIB on Nigeria’s State Safety Policy Committee, supporting the alignment of national safety strategies with ICAO’s Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP) and Doc 9859 SMS/SSP frameworks.
Within Africa’s civil aviation landscape, the new Commissioner holds multiple technical leadership roles. He represents BAGAIA on the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) Accident Investigation Experts Working Group, collaborating with continental specialists to expand investigative competency and standardize safety practices. He is also active in ICAO Western and Central African (WACAF) Office AIG project groups focused on capacity development and cross-border cooperation. To propagate institutional knowledge transfer, Engr. Aniagolu convenes the African Safety Investigators Forum, a professional network promoting peer exchange, technical workshops, and capacity building among investigation authorities continent-wide.
His professional development encompasses extensive domestic and international training in air safety, occurrence investigation, and executive management, providing a composite of operational mastery and strategic oversight. He maintains corporate membership in the Nigerian Society of Engineers and is registered with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).
In his new mandate at BAGAIA, Engr. Aniagolu is charged with executing institutional modernization, deepening inter-state collaboration among Banjul Accord Group members, and bolstering the independence, resourcing, and technical depth of aviation accident investigation entities, consistent with global best practice for impartiality, competence, and transparency.
