- Tinubu Relocates NSIB to Presidency After Dispute with Aviation Ministry
- Strips Aviation Ministry of Oversight of Safety Investigation Bureau
- Overrides Keyamo
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the relocation of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau from the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to the Presidency.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the decision effectively overrides the position of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who had insisted that the bureau remain under the supervision of the ministry.
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Although it has not yet been officially stated which office within the Presidency the agency will report to, documents obtained by Saturday PUNCH confirmed that the President has approved the move.
The decision ends months of disagreements among stakeholders and lawmakers over where the accident investigation body should be domiciled to ensure optimal performance and independence.
In a letter dated November 3, 2025, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit, Hadiza Usman, advised the President to move the bureau out of the aviation ministry.
Usman noted that the bureau’s current structure limits its effectiveness because it is responsible for investigating accidents across multiple transportation sectors including aviation, marine, rail and other transport systems.
She argued that global best practices require accident investigation agencies to operate independently from the ministries they may investigate.
The advisory cited the example of the National Transportation Safety Board in the United States, which reports directly to the highest level of government to ensure transparency and credibility.
According to the recommendation, relocating the bureau to the Presidency would strengthen safety oversight, improve accountability and boost public confidence in accident investigation outcomes.
Responding to the proposal, Tinubu approved the recommendation through a letter dated March 5, 2026, signed by his Private Secretary, Damilola Aderemi.
The approval formally ends the bureau’s operational oversight under the aviation ministry.
The NSIB has long advocated greater operational independence and improved funding to enhance its ability to investigate transportation accidents across Nigeria.
Previously, the Ministry of Aviation had opposed plans by the National Assembly to relocate the bureau. During a public hearing in Abuja in June 2025, the ministry argued that the agency should remain under its supervision while maintaining functional independence.
However, several stakeholders within the transport sector supported relocating the agency to the Presidency, arguing that it would strengthen its neutrality and align it with international standards.
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