The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) will now report directly to the Presidency, President Bola Tinubu has confirmed. The move, approved in March 2026, is intended to enhance the management of accident investigations spanning aviation, road, rail, and maritime sectors.
Formerly known as the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), NSIB is responsible for investigating incidents across multiple transport modes. Until now, the agency, led by Director General Capt. Alex Badeh Jr., reported to the President through the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.
In July 2025, the ministry’s former Permanent Secretary, Ibrahim Kana, had warned that transferring NSIB to the Presidency could lead to “politicisation, diminished accountability, and disrupted policy coherence”, during a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Joint Committees on Aviation and Special Duties.
However, aviation experts argued that because NSIB’s operations cut across multiple ministries, direct supervision from the Presidency would improve coordination. President of the Aviation Safety and Research Training Institute (ASRTI), retired Air Commodore Ademola Onitiju, said the move would also protect the agency’s independence.
“NSIB is better supervised under the Presidency because its activities transcend many ministries. Coordinating it from the Presidency ensures its work remains impartial and effective”, Onitiju said.
The approval was formalised through a State House correspondence dated March 5, 2026, and sent to the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development on March 11 for immediate implementation. The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation has been directed to amend the NSIB Establishment Act 2022 and forward the proposed changes to the National Assembly.
