Air crashes in Nigeria cost 2,038 lives in 53 years
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Air crashes in Nigeria have taken 2,038 lives since 1969, according to tracking by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), and it wants the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to mandate airlines to provide succour for victims’ families.
AIB Chief Executive Officer Akin Olateru disclosed the data and made the plea in Abuja at the 2022 International Day for the Commemoration of Air Crash Victims and their Families.
“In Nigeria, from the year 1969 to 2022, a total of 2,038 (1996 on board passengers and 42 on ground) lives have been lost to air crashes.
“When an aircraft accident or serious incident occurs, it is always an unexpected and mostly fatal event that causes great distress and loss to the victims and their families,” he said.
Olateru explained that the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has devised policies to support families of victims of air crashes, which the NCAA can learn from.
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Information provision
Family assistance entails provision of services and information that would address the concerns and needs of aircraft accident victims and their families, he stressed, per reporting by The PUNCH.
“The ICAO policies and guidelines ensure that the needs of the victims and their families are addressed in a timely manner.
“I, therefore, would like to use this opportunity to recommend that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority put in place effective policies and regulations that will mandate airline operators in the country to have Family Assistance Plans as part of their emergency plan or procedure.
“The NCAA should also ensure that such assistance programmes are supervised, exercised and audited appropriately.”
Recent decrease in accident rates
Olateru, however, noted recent significant decrease in accident rates through several initiatives such as investigations, safety recommendations, voluntary safety reporting, safety cultures, and Safety Management Systems (SMS).
He warned that poor aviation safety management damages aircraft, causes avoidable loss of lives onboard and, sometimes, on ground.
NCAA Director General Musa Nuhu promised that the authority will look at the recommendations of the AIB on assistance for families of air crash victims and take necessary action.
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