The New NSIB Act and the Imperative of an Effective Inter-Modal Transport Investigation Agency
NSIB DG, Alex Badeh Jnr.
When a Dana Air flight tragically crashed in Lagos in 2012, the nation’s attention turned to the urgency of aviation safety and the role of investigators in preventing future disasters. For years, the responsibility for probing such accidents fell to aviation regulators, while other modes of transport—maritime, rail, and road—were often left without credible, independent scrutiny.
But when the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) Act was signed into law in 2022, that fragmented system changed. The act, which was vigorously championed by the NSIB pioneer Director General, Engineer Akin Olateru marked a watershed moment in the country’s transport safety architecture. With the passage of the NSIB Act 2022, which consolidated accident investigation across the transport sector under a single independent agency. For the first time, Nigeria joined a league of countries that recognise that transport accidents, regardless of mode, require coordinated investigation and safety lessons that cut across boundaries.
A Shift in Nigeria’s Safety Architecture
The new Act meant that Nigeria had a single, independent body empowered to investigate accidents and serious incidents across all modes of transport—aviation, maritime, rail, and road.
Before the Act, accident investigations were fragmented. The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) investigated aviation mishaps, while the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) handled maritime occurrences. Rail and road accidents often lacked independent, systematic investigation, leaving gaps in accountability and lessons learned. This institutional overlap, coupled with weak coordination, often undermined safety outcomes.
Why an Inter-Modal Transport Investigation Agency Matters
The logic is simple. Human error, mechanical failure, poor infrastructure, and weak oversight are not unique to aviation. A railway signal failure shares striking similarities with a marine navigation error. Driver fatigue on highways mirrors pilot fatigue in cockpits. By looking at accidents through an inter-modal lens, the NSIB can identify recurring safety issues, promote cross-sector learning, knowledge transfer, and harmonised safety recommendations and systemic fixes.
Globally, this model has proven effective. In the United States, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigates everything from plane crashes to pipeline explosions. In Britain, dedicated Air, Rail, and Marine Accident Investigation branches operate under a unified framework. Both systems demonstrate that credible, independent accident investigation fosters accountability, public trust, and continuous safety improvement because they operate free from regulatory or operational conflicts of interest.
The Roadblocks Ahead
However, while the NSIB Act gives the Bureau legal teeth, the journey to effectiveness is far from smooth. Funding remains the biggest hurdle. Accident investigation is an expensive enterprise. Black box recorders must be retrieved and analysed, ships surveyed with sonar, and railway derailments reconstructed with high-tech equipment. This was corroborated by the NSIB Director General, Captain Alex Badeh Jnr last Thursday during a virtual media chat admitting that “We are planning to procure equipment but to get the money, we are working on it.” Without sustainable funding, the Bureau’s mandate risks being undermined.
Manpower is another challenge. Aviation investigators are in short supply; maritime and rail experts are even scarcer. The NSIB must recruit, train, and retain specialists, while leveraging retired professionals and international cooperation. Thus, according to Alex Badeh Jnr, NSIB has resorted to training new recruits, seconding personnel from sister agencies like NIMASA and NIWA, and considering retired professionals to plug the gaps.
Then there is the question of inter-agency cooperation. Accident investigation depends on data, access, and swift information-sharing. Yet, bureaucratic rivalries between regulators and the investigating Bureau risk undermining progress. Capt. Badeh himself lamented the lack of communication with NIMASA, urging agencies to “work for Nigeria” rather than guard turf. The bureau relies heavily on collaboration with regulatory agencies like NCAA, NIMASA, NIWA, FRSC, and NRC. Bureaucratic bottlenecks and turf battles could stall its effectiveness unless addressed.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN and NSIB DG Alex Badeh Jnr.
The Payoff of Getting it Right
Despite these obstacles, the potential gains are enormous. A strong NSIB can deter negligence by holding operators accountable. It can generate credible safety data that informs smarter policies. It can restore public confidence that transport systems are safe and well-monitored. And it can give Nigeria international credibility, aligning with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and International Maritime Organisation (IMO) best practices.
In essence, every naira invested in NSIB’s capacity could prevent tragedies that cost lives, reputations, and billions of naira in economic losses.
The Imperative Before Government
The NSIB Act is a good law, it reflects Nigeria’s determination to modernise its transportation safety system in line with global best practice. But laws do not enforce themselves. Government must go beyond legislation to provide sustainable funding, build a pipeline of skilled investigators, and enforce cooperation among agencies.
Accident investigation agencies worldwide—from the NTSB in Washington to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada—enjoy standing budgets. Nigeria’s investigators should not be forced to beg regulators for levies before carrying out life-saving missions.
Conclusion
The NSIB is more than just another government agency; it is a guardian of safety across Nigeria’s transport system. If fully empowered, it can change the narrative from reaction to prevention, ensuring that every tragedy leads to lessons that save lives.
An effective NSIB will not only reduce accident rates but also reassure Nigerians and investors that the country is committed to a safe, integrated, and reliable transport system.
In a country where thousands die yearly on highways, where trains are regaining prominence, and where maritime trade is the backbone of the economy, an inter-modal accident investigation agency is not a luxury—it is an imperative.
