NSIB faults US assessment on safety of Nigeria airports

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, has faulted the assessment of the US State Department, suggesting that Nigerian airports are generally unsafe.

The Director General of NSIB, Capt. Alex Badeh, in a statement on Wednesday, said regarding the recent incident in Asaba, where an aircraft was reported to have encountered animals on the runway, that the aircraft was fine and continued its journey to Abuja without any damage.

He noted that such occurrences involving animals on runways are rare in Nigeria, adding that these are not unique to Nigeria and occur at airports globally, including in the United States.

He noted: “It’s unfair to generalise that our airports are totally unsafe. We recognise the need for continuous improvement, and we commend the efforts of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, in implementing upgrades.”

Badeh said, “It’s crucial to consider the context and metrics used in such evaluations and acknowledge that challenges such as perimeter fencing and instances of wildlife intrusion exist at some airports.”

”The incident was reported to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Since there was no significant issue, it was not reported to the NSIB.

“However, we plan to reach out to the private entity managing the airport to discuss best practices.”