Senate passes bill to establish Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau

The Senate, on Tuesday, passed the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (Establishment) Bill, 2021 sequel to the consideration of a report by the Committee on Aviation.

The chamber had stepped down the bill last week due to a “mix-up” observed by the lawmakers during plenary.

However, in his presentation on Tuesday, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Smart Adeyemi (Kogi West), said the bill seeks to provide an effective and institutional framework for the prevention, regulation and administration of safety investigation of transportation occurrences in Nigeria, and anywhere Nigerian interest is involved or the transportation vehicle is a Nigerian carrier.

Adeyemi added that, “the purpose of the bill is to enable investigative activities and promote safety through the conduct of transparent, independent and objective investigations in all cases of accidents involving any of the current mode of transport in the country.”

He noted that the bill’s passage and assent into law would, amongst others, facilitate quick investigation of accidents, create a much safer environment and reduce death rates across the country.