Aviation is a very important part of the global economy, and our lives by the Commissioner/CE of Accident Investigation Bureau, Akin Olateru on International Day for the commemoration of Air Crash Victims and Their Families in Nigeria.
In Nigeria, the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB-N) has been successful in her mandate and forms a solid foundation for this transition as it regards recently new Act establishing the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) passed by National Assembly. According to the Commissioner/CE Accident Investigation Bureau, Akin Olateru’s speech at the press briefing on the International Day for the commemoration of Air Crash Victims and Their Families held on 20 February, 2022 at Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel, Abuja saying The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Ministry of Aviation and the Bureau is following the international standards and procedures to ensure that everything is put in place to provide the requisite support for victims of air incidents and their families.
Under the 2013 National Civil Aviation Policy, Olateru said the Bureau is charged with the responsibility of rendering Family Assistance to victims and their families at times of aircraft accidents.
According to him, this is a wraparound service to be provided at the time of an incident and during investigation.
However, Commissioner said it is important to note that aircraft accident investigation is separate from the provision of Family Assistance, and until recently, the enabling legislation did not exist to enable the bureau carry out this mandate.
Nonetheless, the Bureau has provided family assistance in the recovery of personal effects of victims, identification of bodies, provision of information on accident Investigations, and pathological services, amongst others, he added.
AIB has also participated in the commemoration of air crash accident anniversaries because I believe that irrespective of the scale of an accident, the victims and their families should receive appropriate and timely assistance, he added.
“Assistance programmes, in support of aircraft accident victims and their families, require cooperative planning and response by the air operator, State of Occurrence, non-governmental organizations, and specialized commercial companies.
AIB Boss use this opportunity to recommend that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), should put in place effective policies and regulations that will mandate airline operators in the country to have Family Assistance Plans as part of their emergency plan or procedure.
“NCAA should also ensure that such assistance programmes are supervised, exercised and audited appropriately.
“The ICAO’s Policy and Manual on the Assistance to Aircraft Accident Victims and their Families is contained in Doc 9998 and Doc 9973, respectively.
“This detailed information on ICAO’s Family Assistance policies and guidelines are available online.
He noted that the Family Assistance Unit at NSIB will provide victims, and their families:
- emergency response to the accident;
- information about the occurrence;
- coordination of travel to and lodging at a family assistance center, as well as assistance to those not travelling;
- coordination of a visit to the accident site (where access is possible);
- information about the location and status of the victims, and the recovery, identification and disposition of remains;
- information regarding the recovery, management and return of personal effects;
- social, emotional and psychological support; and
- information about the progress of the subsequent investigation, and its objective
“The new Bill, which will align Nigeria with the relevant International Standards and Recommended Practices, now only awaits Presidential assent.
“Following which the AIB-N will evolve into a multimodal accident investigation agency with the legal remit to extend her current responsibilities and expertise to rail and maritime in addition to air.
In his words: It is widely accepted that multimodality is the future of Transport Accident Investigation, and the transition has always emanated from the extant Air Accident Investigation Agency. One major significance of this Bill is the legal framework it provides for AIB-N to execute a more robust and effective Family Assistance programme, he added.
“I want to state unequivocally, that I consider the avoidable loss of life unacceptable.
This is the reason that we, at AIB-N, are determined to continue to extend the frontiers of safety in the aviation sector, as well as in the other forms of transportation, Olateru noted.
“We will achieve this by aligning ourselves with global best practice in the industry, and by employing the latest technology and the most qualified personnel, to thoroughly investigate past occurrences and make the appropriate recommendations to ensure that they never occur again.
“We will ensure that we continue to review and improve our systems processes and procedures to reduce casualties associated with any transportation incidents and provide the information and other support systems necessary to fulfil our mandate.
Olateru with optimistic concluded that with the advancement of technology, it is our aim to achieve even higher safety standards and ensure even fewer fatal incidents in future.
“It is vital that the government and airline operator render assistance and support to the victims and their families, and not just at the time of the accident or serious incident but afterwards too.”
