The Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have commenced efforts to strengthen collaboration on providing coordinated support for victims of aircraft accidents and their families, in line with international aviation standards.
The initiative was discussed on Wednesday during a meeting in Abuja between the National Family Assistance Coordination Committee, coordinated by the NSIB, and officials of the NCAA.
The engagement focused on improving institutional coordination, capacity building and the effective implementation of Family Assistance programmes within Nigeria’s aviation sector.
Leading the NSIB delegation, the Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Funke Adebayo-Arowojobe, said the National Family Assistance Coordination Committee operates under a multimodal transportation framework that covers aviation, marine, rail and other transport sectors.
She explained that the meeting centred on enhancing collaboration in aviation disaster victim and family assistance.
Adebayo-Arowojobe added that discussions examined the objectives of the Family Assistance Programme, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) policy on assistance to aircraft accident victims and their families, the committee’s mandate, the statutory responsibilities of the NSIB, the complementary role of the NCAA and areas for future cooperation.
According to her, Family Assistance has become a critical element of transportation safety management and emergency response, ensuring that victims and their families receive timely, compassionate and coordinated institutional support after an accident.
“The programme is designed to preserve the dignity of victims, ensure families receive timely and accurate information, facilitate access to essential services and promote compassionate engagement throughout the post-occurrence process,” she said.
Adebayo-Arowojobe stressed that achieving these objectives would require sustained collaboration among transport agencies and strict adherence to international best practices.
Responding, NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, welcomed the initiative and reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to working closely with the NSIB to strengthen Family Assistance programmes across Nigeria’s aviation industry.
“Continuous training and retraining of personnel remain essential to ensure agencies are adequately prepared to provide professional and coordinated support whenever the need arises,” Achimugu said.
The meeting also identified key areas for future collaboration, including joint capacity-building programmes, knowledge sharing, stakeholder sensitisation and the development of sustainable mechanisms for implementing Family Assistance initiatives in accordance with global standards.
Both agencies expressed confidence that the partnership would strengthen Nigeria’s emergency response framework, establish clearer institutional procedures for assisting families affected by air accidents and improve the country’s preparedness to respond effectively to future aviation emergencies.
