Olateru identifies tools needed to aid AIB’s investigation mandate

The Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Accident Investigation Bureau Nigeria (AIB-N), Mr Akin Olateru has emphasised maximum cooperation, diligence, conscientiousness and professionalism as the essential tools needed to achieve the Bureau’s mandate of investigating aircraft accidents and serious incidents.

Olateru made the declaration while addressing the Bureau’s staff across the country virtually from the corporate headquarters in Abuja.

Olateru whose reappointment as the Commissioner of the Bureau was recently approved by President Muhammadu Buhari through the recommendation of the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, is expected to continue to run the Federal agency which was established to investigate aircraft accident and serious incident with the view to preventing the reoccurrence of such mishaps by making relevant recommendations on.

Speaking to the staff on the occasion, Olateru said “It has been an honour to work with you all over the last four years and I look forward to the next four years with great expectations for how much more we will achieve together.

“I invite you now to look back on the last four years, at the events, the challenges, our successes and aspirations and work with me to continue the path of innovation and strategic development. We must continue to deliver on our mandate with the highest standards of professionalism as we always have, and to continue to grow thereon.”

The Commissioner, however, assured that his administration will continue to innovate and establish the AIB-N even further, to align with the best in class globally, saying, “I plan to improve our infrastructure and equipment, strengthen our human capital, further simplify our processes, and eliminate bottlenecks in our procedures, making AIB a highly reputable institution.”

On his reappointment, Olateru expressed “sincere gratitude tPresident Buhari and the Minister of Aviation for the trust and confidence he said they reposed in him to continue to lead the AIB.

On the progress that has been achieved at the Bureau since he assumed office in 2017, Olateru declared: “I am even more humbled by the recognition and acknowledgement of these achievements by our Minister, my colleagues, staff, and the media”.

Some of the achievements the Bureau has recorded under Olateru included; the release of 40 final reports on accidents and serious incidents and three Safety Bulletins which represents a 67.8 per cent of the total final reports released by the Bureau since it was established in 2007.

Under him, the Bureau also issued 130 Safety Recommendations within this period, representing 61.6 percent of the total safety recommendations issued by the Bureau.

Within the four years period, the Bureau’s infrastructural facilities, such as the Bureau’s Flight Safety Laboratory in Abuja and Lagos, Wreckage Hangar, Metallurgical Science Laboratory, Regional offices in Enugu and Kano states, and the Command and Control Center, were developed and rehabilitated to enhance efficiency.

Also the Olateru’s administration initiated collaborations and cooperation agreements with several countries and institutions such as the United States  National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Singapore Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB), Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses pour la sécurité de l’aviation civile (BEA- France), the Instituto Nacional De Aviaco Civil (National Civil Aviation Authority) of Sao Tome & Principe, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) and University of Lagos (UNILAG), while the cooperation agreements between Saudi Arabia, Republic of Benin and Niger Republic are in the process.

The AIB commissioner also appreciated the Nigerian media for helping to spotlight the important work AIB-N does by effectively communicating how critically important the Bureau’s work impacts safety within the aviation industry.

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