NSIB pledges to improve Aviation safety in 2023
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), says it will intensify efforts to improve aviation safety in 2023.
NSIB Director-General, Mr Akin Olateru, made this known on Thursday in Abuja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
According to Olateru, one of the fundamental objectives of the bureau is to improve aviation safety by determining the circumstances and causes of air accidents and serious indents.
“It will also provide safety recommendations intended to prevent the recurrence of similar accidents. The purpose of this is not to apportion blame or liability,” he added.
The NSIB boss said to achieve the feat, the bureau had planned to train and retrain its staff to sustain best practices in 2023.
He said three Air Safety Investigators of the bureau had just completed their programme at the Nigerian College of Technology (NCAT), Zaria, to boost capacity.
He affirmed that the NSIB had partnered with Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA) to train Air Safety Investigators by organising workshops for investigators and aviation Correspondents in Abuja.
Olateru explained that BAGAIA assisted its members in seven West African States, including the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Cape Verde and Sierra Leone to conduct an independent investigation of aircraft accidents and serious incidents in compliance with international standards.
Commenting on the partnership, Olateru said the current administration had initiated collaborations and cooperation agreements with several countries and institutions to strengthen safety in the aviation industry.
He said the partners included the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), the Republic of Benin, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the Singapore Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB).
“Also, Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses pour la sécurité de l’aviation civile (BEA- France), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), University of Lagos (UNILAG), and the Republic of Saudi Arabia, are among the partners,” he said.
He said the bureau has established a training institute to boost knowledge of accident investigation in the African region.
He said the training school would be the first of its kind in Africa with support from Cranfield University, UK, Singapore TSB and NCAT.
“This institution will serve as a source of internally-generated revenue for the Bureau with an enabling study environment, a four-star accommodation of 30 hotel rooms, training rooms and an auditorium with a capacity of 250 seats.”
