As FG moves NSIB way from aviation

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has canvassed stronger coordination between transportation safety oversight and national security response mechanisms as the Federal Government concluded the relocation of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) to the presidency.

The new arrangement, approved by President Bola Tinubu in March 2026, removed the NSIB from the supervisory control of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to the Presidency through the ONSA.

A statement yesterday by the NSIB said that the ONSA made the statement last Thursday at a high-level stakeholder meeting held at the Joint Intelligence Board Hall in Abuja.
According to the statement, apart from the ONSA, government officials and transport sector regulators also described the move as a strategic step aimed at strengthening investigative independence, improving emergency coordination and addressing growing national security concerns linked to transportation incidents.

The meeting, chaired by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, drew participation from top officials across the aviation, maritime, rail, road transport, finance, justice, and emergency response sectors, the statement said.

Among agencies represented were the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigeria Police Force, the Armed Forces, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

Stakeholders at the meeting said the increasing complexity of transportation accidents and emergencies now requires stronger collaboration between safety regulators, intelligence agencies, and emergency responders.
Speaking during the engagement, Director-General of the NSIB, Alex Badeh Jr., said the new reporting structure would strengthen operational independence and eliminate delays often encountered during accident investigations.

“Our responsibility remains preventive, not punitive. The Bureau determines probable causes of accidents, identifies systemic safety gaps, and issues recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences. We do not regulate, prosecute, or apportion blame,” he said.

Badeh Jr. noted that previous investigations in late 2025 and early 2026 were affected by jurisdictional overlaps and delays in accessing critical operational data, stressing that the new framework would improve evidence preservation, occurrence notification and coordinated response among agencies.

In his remarks, Ribadu said the presidency approved the reform to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks and improve investigative neutrality.

According to him, the ONSA would provide institutional coordination and oversight support, particularly in cases involving systemic failures or incidents linked to operational lapses within sectoral agencies.

He added that plans were already underway to amend the NSIB Establishment Act 2022 to reflect the new governance structure, with the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation expected to lead the drafting process alongside relevant stakeholders.

Also speaking at the occasion, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Usman, said the restructuring aligned Nigeria’s transport safety system with international best practices.

She cited global models such as the United States National Transportation Safety Board, Canada’s Transportation Safety Board, and France’s Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses pour la Sécurité de l’Aviation Civile as examples of independent accident investigation systems reporting outside sector regulators.

The statement hinted that participants at the meeting agreed to develop inter-agency standard operating procedures within 30 days, establish memoranda of understanding among agencies within 60 days and commence legislative amendments required for full implementation of the new framework.

It added that the stakeholders unanimously endorsed the reform and pledged deeper collaboration through coordinated operational frameworks and response protocols.