NSIB Boss, Badeh Jr. rebuffs U.S. State Department’s generalisation of Nigerian Airports as Unsafe

The Director General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Capt. Alex Badeh Jr.  said that the Bureau will not subscribe to the erroneous generalisation by the U.S. State Department that Nigerian airports are not safe.

Capt. Badeh Jr.  stated this while addressing issues on Airport Safety Concerns, Wigwe Crash Findings and Expanded Transport Mandate in a statement signed by the Director Public Affairs and Family Assistance, NSIB,Mrs. Bimbo Oladeji and made available to aviation journalists.

The NSIB boss said, “While there is always room for improvement, the NSIB does not concur with the assessment that Nigerian airports are generally unsafe. It’s crucial to consider the context and metrics used in such evaluations.”

Bade Jr. acknowledged that challenges such as perimeter fencing and instances of wildlife intrusion exist at some airports, noting that these are not unique to Nigeria and occur at airports globally, including the United States.

NSIB boss added, “It’s unfair to generalise that our airports are totally unsafe. We recognise the need for continuous improvement, and we commend the efforts of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in implementing upgrades.”

Commenting on the recent incident in Asaba, where an aircraft was reported to have encountered animals on the runway, the DG said, “The aircraft was fine and continued its journey to Abuja without any damage. The incident was reported to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Since there was no significant issue, it was not reported to the NSIB. However, we plan to reach out to the private entity managing the airport to discuss best practices.”

He stressed that such occurrences involving animals on runways are rare in Nigeria.

Speaking on the investigation into the accident involving the late Herbert Wigwe, Bade Jr. corrected the assertion that the NSIB worked “side-by-side” with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

“We were an interested party, and were kept abreast of the process by the NTSB, who led the investigation in the U.S,” he explained.

The NTSB report, Badeh Jr. said, indicated that the probable cause of the accident was spatial disorientation.

He added that the report also highlighted deficiencies in the company’s oversight and safety management processes.

“It appears there were systemic issues, and the flight risk assessment should have indicated a higher risk. While it’s easy to blame the pilot, there is a system behind the pilot that should have mitigated these risks,” he said.

Commenting on the update on the NSIB’s expanded mandate, Badeh Jr. said, “In line with our establishment act of 2022, we are now the sole accident investigation agency in Nigeria, covering air, rail, road, and maritime. We are developing the necessary frameworks, including maritime investigation regulations, training manuals, investigation procedure policies, and manuals. The maritime and rail frameworks are complete, and we are engaging stakeholders for their buy-in.”

NSIB, he affirmed, is committed to promoting transport safety and conducting objective, comprehensive, and accurate investigations into transport accidents and incidents in Nigeria.