Nigeria leads regional drive for safer skies

…as NSIB hosts 12th BAGAIA meeting in Abuja

Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has reinforced the country’s position as a pacesetter in regional aviation safety by hosting the 12th Commission Meeting of the Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA) in Abuja.

The two-day meeting, held on 28 and 29 July 2025, brought together high-ranking officials and technical experts from six West African member states to strengthen collaboration, enhance investigative capabilities, and discuss strategic priorities in air transport safety.

Member states represented at the high-level gathering included Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia, Liberia, Cape Verde, and Sierra Leone. Participants deliberated on shared challenges, harmonised safety frameworks, and emerging risks in the dynamic aviation environment across the region.

Themed “Celebrating Our Collective Wins in Capacity Building and Aviation Safety Across the Banjul Accord Group (BAG) Region and Beyond”, the meeting underscored the importance of continued cooperation in developing skilled investigators, improving operational standards, and consolidating progress in accident investigation.

One of the highlights of the session was the activation of BAGAIA’s newly constituted Board of Directors, composed of the heads of national accident investigation bureaus.

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The move, stakeholders say, will boost transparency and governance by overseeing BAGAIA’s strategic direction and ensuring accountability of its leadership.

In his keynote address at the opening ceremony, NSIB Director General, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., urged member states to maintain a united front in addressing transnational aviation safety issues.

“Cooperation among member states is not just a goal but the foundation of our success,” he stated. “Aviation incidents transcend borders and demand seamless collaboration. We must move as one.”

He cited recent instances of Nigeria’s proactive regional engagement, including the technical assistance provided to Liberia’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and support extended to Ghana in developing a flight data analysis laboratory. These actions, Badeh noted, demonstrate how Nigeria is translating regional commitments into tangible impact.

“We are celebrating collective wins today,” he said. “They reflect our shared growth, our willingness to learn from one another, and our drive to raise standards across the subregion.”

Badeh also pointed to new and evolving threats to aviation safety, such as bird strikes, operational hazards, and technological disruptions, stressing the need for dynamic and forward-thinking responses through regional partnerships.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.