Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Alex Badeh Jr., has said that any attempt to reduce the agency’s allocation from the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) could undermine aviation safety and weaken the country’s accident investigation capability.

Badeh, who spoke in a virtual media parley with aviation journalists over the weekend, said the NSIB was already receiving the lowest allocation under the existing arrangement and should not be subjected to another reduction.

Under the current revenue-sharing formula contained in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Act 2022, the five per cent TSC/Cargo Sales Charge (CSC) collected by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is distributed among five aviation agencies.

The NCAA receives 56 per cent, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) 22 per cent, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) nine per cent, the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) seven per cent, and the NSIB six per cent, which made it the agency with the lowest allocation.

However, a proposal currently before the National Assembly seeks to alter the formula, with the NCAA’s share proposed to drop from 56 per cent to 40 per cent and NAMA’s allocation rising from 22 per cent to 40 per cent.

The proposal has generated controversy in the sector, with agencies, unions and industry experts divided in their positions.

Badeh insisted that any move to reduce the NSIB’s share, being canvassed by some stakeholders on the grounds that the bureau’s statutory responsibilities had expanded beyond aviation to other modes of transportation, would be counterproductive.

The NSIB boss stressed that accident investigation was a critical component of the country’s aviation safety architecture and required sustained funding, particularly for the deployment of investigators, the acquisition and maintenance of specialised equipment, laboratory capabilities, training, and participation in investigations involving complex aircraft accidents.

Besides, Badeh Jr. disclosed that the NSIB had yet to receive some of the statutory revenues to which it was entitled from other transport sectors.

He specifically stated that the bureau was entitled to three per cent of the earnings of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), but had not received the funds, despite the NSIB having commenced providing safety investigation services to maritime operators.

He explained that non-remittance would not prevent the bureau from fulfilling its responsibilities in the maritime sector.

He also disclosed that the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) had yet to remit the statutory charges due to the NSIB, despite the bureau being entitled to six per cent of NRC’s revenue under the law.

The NSIB DG expressed optimism that the recent relocation of the bureau to the presidency would strengthen compliance by government agencies and improve its funding situation.