Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, CON, FCIArb (UK), has called for enhanced intermodal collaboration among stakeholders in Nigeria’s transport sector to strengthen safety standards across all modes of transportation. The minister who represented the Federal Government of Nigeria and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, applauded the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) for convening the timely workshop themed “Strengthening Transport Safety Standards through Collaboration.”
He stated this at the Multimodal Transportation Stakeholders’ Workshop organised by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) held on 31st July, 2025 at Los Angeles Event Centre in Abuja.
Keyamo acknowledged the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) for its expanding role as an independent investigative body covering air, rail, marine, and road transport incidents under the leadership of Captain Alex Badeh Jnr. He commended the Bureau’s preventive and non-punitive approach, established under the NSIB Act of 2022, as a robust framework for addressing transport accident causes to prevent future occurrences. Keyamo also recognized contributions from transport experts like Mr. Dennis Jones, Engr. Seyi Sijuwade, and Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba (rtd), whose insights were deemed invaluable to Nigeria’s safety infrastructure development.
Director General NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh Jnr., in his welcome address expressed deep appreciation to all participants, emphasizing that the workshop reflects a shared national commitment to enhancing transport safety and building resilient systems that align with global best practices.
Badeh highlighted the increasing interconnectivity of Nigeria’s transport systems, noting that collaboration among stakeholders is not only beneficial but essential. He underscored the workshop’s role as a platform for open dialogue, exchange of insights, and the collective refinement of safety frameworks to protect lives and infrastructure.
Badeh revealed that the workshop focused on three critical regulatory frameworks: Railway (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Regulations Draft – Establishing comprehensive procedures for investigating railway mishaps and implementing preventive measures, Maritime Safety Investigation Regulations Draft – Aimed at streamlining maritime accident investigations, enhancing transparency, and improving safety protocols across Nigeria’s inland waterways and ports, and Revised Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations Draft – A modernized framework incorporating global best practices, stakeholder feedback, and emerging technologies to elevate aviation safety.
Also speaking at the event, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, FCIB, in his remarks, reiterated the Authority’s unwavering commitment to the safety and efficiency of inland water transportation in Nigeria.
He expressed personal and institutional dedication to the prevention of accidents on Nigeria’s inland waterways. He noted that while human endeavours come with risks, safety must remain a collective priority.
Highlighting progress made under his leadership since assuming office in November 2023, he disclosed that NIWA has achieved major milestones in its safety drive. These include: Gazetting of the Water Transportation Code, which prescribes regulations and penalties for violators, Deployment of over 20 watercrafts to strategic locations nationwide, Deployment of more than 600 Water Marshals to key loading and off-loading points, Stakeholder sensitisation programmes held in over 12 states and 70 locations, Distribution of over 6,000 standard lifejackets and Expanded safety campaigns across radio, television, and print media.
He commended the collaborative efforts of NSIB and emphasized the importance of partnership between federal agencies and littoral state governments. He lauded states such as Bayelsa, Niger, Kwara, Sokoto, and Lagos for responding positively to NIWA’s collaboration initiatives, which have led to the deployment of modern high-capacity ferries.
The event was well attended by top government officials, respected industry experts, including the former MD of the U.S. NTSB, former Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral (Rtd.) Dele Ezeoba, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps Shehu Mohammed, and several key stakeholders from the transport industry.
Signed
Margaret Oyinboade
ACIO, Press
For: Head (Press and Public Affairs)
