The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has called for stronger coordination between transportation safety oversight and national security response mechanisms. This comes as the Federal Government finalized the relocation of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) to the presidency.
President Bola Tinubu approved the new arrangement in March 2026, transferring the NSIB from the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to the presidency through ONSA. The move aims to enhance investigative independence and improve emergency coordination.
In a statement released yesterday, the NSIB revealed that ONSA made the call at a high-level stakeholder meeting held last Thursday at the Joint Intelligence Board Hall in Abuja. The meeting, chaired by National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, included officials from aviation, maritime, rail, road transport, finance, justice, and emergency response sectors.
Among the agencies represented were the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigeria Police Force, the Armed Forces, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Stakeholders noted that the increasing complexity of transportation accidents and emergencies requires greater collaboration between safety regulators, intelligence agencies, and emergency responders. They endorsed the reform as a strategic step to address growing national security concerns linked to transportation incidents.
Speaking at the event, NSIB Director-General Alex Badeh Jr. emphasized that the new reporting structure would strengthen operational independence and eliminate delays often encountered during accident investigations. He stated, "Our responsibility remains preventive, not punitive. The Bureau determines probable causes of accidents, identifies systemic safety gaps, and issues recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences. We do not regulate, prosecute, or apportion blame."
Badeh Jr. noted that previous investigations in late 2025 and early 2026 were hampered by jurisdictional overlaps and delays in accessing critical operational data. He stressed that the new framework would improve evidence preservation, occurrence notification, and coordinated response among agencies.
In his remarks, Ribadu explained that the presidency approved the reform to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks and improve investigative neutrality. He stated that ONSA would provide institutional coordination and oversight support, particularly in cases involving systemic failures or incidents linked to operational lapses within sectoral agencies.
Ribadu added that plans are underway to amend the NSIB Establishment Act 2022 to reflect the new governance structure. The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation is expected to lead the drafting process alongside relevant stakeholders.
Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Usman, said the restructuring aligns Nigeria's transport safety system with international best practices. She cited global models such as the United States National Transportation Safety Board, Canada's Transportation Safety Board, and France's Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile as examples of independent accident investigation systems reporting outside sector regulators.
The statement indicated that participants agreed to develop inter-agency standard operating procedures within 30 days, establish memoranda of understanding among agencies within 60 days, and commence legislative amendments required for full implementation of the new framework. The stakeholders unanimously endorsed the reform and pledged deeper collaboration through coordinated operational frameworks and response protocols.
