The Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development have opposed a proposed bill seeking to transfer the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) under its purview to the Presidency.
The ministry voiced its opposition during a public hearing held on Wednesday by the joint House Committees on Special Duties and Aviation. Lawmakers argued that situating the Bureau within the same ministry it is expected to investigate compromises the objectivity and credibility of its findings. They contended that placing it under the Presidency would enhance its operational independence and efficiency.
However, Abubakar Kana, the Permanent Secretary who represented the ministry, urged Lawmakers to rather enhance the legal and operational frameworks to ensure its functional independence, while retaining the Bureau within the aviation ministry.
“I recommend that the National Assembly and its relevant stakeholders retain the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau within the Federal Ministry of Aviation,” Kana stated.
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In contrast, Gagare Nadungu, Permanent Secretary for Political and Economic Affairs at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation supported the bill, arguing that the Presidency, through the SGF, provides a centralised coordination structure better suited to host the Bureau.
He maintained that relocating the NSIB to the Presidency would ensure broader national oversight and institutional autonomy.
Onwusoro Maduka, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs also agred that the independence for the Bureau is key in its conduct of accident investigations.
Delivering remarks on behalf of Abbas Tajudeen, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kwamoti Laori described the amendment as a proactive step towards enhancing transport safety and aligning Nigeria’s systems with international standards.
He affirmed that the House was committed to providing legislative backing to strengthen strategic sectors of the economy, noting that aviation, land, and maritime transport together form the backbone of any modern, thriving society.
The sponsor of the bill, Isiaq Akinlade, argued that housing the Bureau under the aviation ministry limits its effectiveness due to bureaucratic constraints, inadequate autonomy, and weak inter-agency coordination across Nigeria’s transport regulatory ecosystem.
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He cited the Bureau’s lack of institutional independence, which raises questions about its impartiality and operational freedom. He also pointed to overlapping mandates with other agencies such as the FRSC, NCAA, NIMASA, NIWA, and NRC—bodies that fall under different ministries yet perform similar investigative functions.
According to him, the Bureau’s current structure, subordinate to a single ministry, curtails its autonomy and undermines its credibility.
“International best practice favours independent investigative agencies. Relocating the NSIB to the Presidency would address these structural weaknesses and empower the Bureau to effectively execute its mandate across Nigeria’s multi-modal transport system”,
Akinlade said.
