Mr Akin Olateru, Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), says before the advent of Covid-19 pandemic, Nigerian aviation industry contributed at least $1.7 billion.
Mr Tunji Oketunbi, General Manager, Public Affairs (AIB) stated this in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday, adding that the industry also created 341,000 direct jobs to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Olateru said this in a paper titled: “Best Practices in Civil Aircraft Accident Prevention and Investigation for Sustainable Development of the Transportation and Tourism Industry’’, at the 2020 National Tourism and Transportation Summit and Expo 2020.
The AIB helmsman also called for effective collaboration between air transport and tourism industry, saying the two sectors needed each other to thrive and developed the nation’s economy.
The commissioner was represented at the occasion by Capt. Dayyabu Danraka, Director of Operations AIB, noted that the pandemic setback the country’s aviation industry.
According to him, the $1.7 billion and 241,000 figures were presented by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), recently.
Olateru, further described air accident and serious incident investigation and timely release of safety reports as catalyst for sustainable development in the air transportation and tourism industry in the country.
He insisted that air transport was part of a broader travel and tourism sector, widely recognised as world largest industry.
The commissioner emphasised that the industry, according to the World Bank Group, was an important enabler to achieving economic growth and development.
Olateru said that air transport in addition facilitate integration into global economy and provide vital connectivity on a national, regional and international scale, it also helps to generate trade, promote tourism and create job opportunities.
He noted that air transport and tourism complement each other, pointing out that tourism depends on transportation to facilitate the movement of visitors, while transportation industry depends on tourism to generate revenues for its services.
The commissioner observed that no matter what transport mode is accident always erode the public’s confidence in the safety of the transport system.
Olateru explained that accident could lead to injury or death and could cause environmental and economic disaster.
He insisted that independent investigations into causes of accidents and major incidents helped to prevent tragedies and accident recurrence, thereby playing an important role in improving transport safety.
The commissioner said that the industry also brings back the public confidence in transportation, leading towards sustainable development of transportation and tourism industries.
Olateru noted that that the Civil Aviation Act 2006 and the Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations of 2016 are the instruments that formed the legal framework upon which civil aviation accidents and incidents investigations are conducted in Nigeria.
He explained that AIB had consistently carried out its duties on accident and serious incident investigation in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 13.
The commissioner said that a draft bill to establish a multimodal transportation safety investigation system had passed the 2nd reading at the National Assembly.
Olateru said the bill seeks to expand the scope of accidents and serious incidents investigation to cover the air, maritime and rail transportation occurrences.
He stressed that the experience garnered over the years in air accident investigation would be applied to the other two modes of transportation investigation occurrences.
