The Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and the Benue State Government have taken steps to deepen their relationship with a new round of discussions aimed at strengthening transportation safety, institutional capacity and technical cooperation in support of the state’s maritime and blue economy agenda.
According to a statement signed by Mrs Funke Adebayo-Arowojobe, Director, Public Affairs and Family Assistance, the latest engagement comes weeks after the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., led a high level delegation to Makurdi following the boat accident on the River Benue that claimed 11 lives.
During that visit, the NSIB team carried out an on the spot safety assessment, met with Governor Hyacinth Alia at the Government House, engaged community leaders and boat operators, and reaffirmed the Bureau’s commitment to working with the state to improve safety on its inland waterways.
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Governor Alia had, in turn, called for a stronger and more sustained NSIB presence in Benue to support safety advocacy and risk reduction initiatives.
Building on that engagement, Captain Badeh on Monday received the Benue State Commissioner for Maritime and Blue Economy, Hon. Denis Ter Iyaghigba, and members of his delegation at the Bureau’s headquarters in Abuja.
The delegation included Mr Charles Terfa Ikyaave, Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Harris Dera, Special Adviser (Technical) to the Commissioner, and Mr Lubem Gena, Head of Media, Publicity and Orientation in the Commissioner’s Office.
The visit focused on developing a framework for collaboration in transportation safety, accident investigation, institutional development, knowledge exchange and capacity building, areas both parties identified as critical to the safe development of Benue State’s maritime and blue economy sector.
Speaking during the meeting, Captain Badeh said the discussions reflected a shared commitment to translating earlier engagements into structured cooperation.
“Our recent visit to Benue was born out of tragedy, but it also opened the door to meaningful engagement with the state government. Today’s meeting demonstrates that our relationship is evolving beyond accident response into a strategic partnership built on prevention, technical cooperation and institutional capacity development.”
He said transportation safety remains a shared responsibility requiring sustained collaboration among governments, regulators and technical agencies.
“The NSIB’s mandate extends beyond investigating accidents. We are equally committed to preventing future occurrences by sharing knowledge, building institutional capacity and promoting global safety standards. We welcome every opportunity to work with states that are committed to developing safer transportation systems.”
Responding, the Commissioner for Maritime and Blue Economy, Hon. Denis Ter Iyaghigba, said the Abuja meeting marked the beginning of a long term relationship that would strengthen Benue’s capacity to develop its inland water transport and blue economy sectors safely.
“Captain Badeh’s visit to Benue after the recent boat accident demonstrated the Bureau’s professionalism and compassion. Our visit today is a continuation of that engagement. We are here to build a partnership that will equip our institutions with the technical knowledge, safety culture and operational capacity required to unlock the enormous potential of Benue’s waterways while protecting lives.”
He said the state government was committed to working closely with the NSIB in developing policies, training personnel and adopting best practices that would improve safety governance across the maritime sector.
Following the meeting, the delegation toured the Bureau’s operational facilities, including its investigation laboratories, technical workspaces and specialised infrastructure used in accident investigation and safety analysis.
The visit gave the Benue officials firsthand exposure to the Bureau’s investigative capabilities and technical processes, reinforcing discussions on future cooperation in knowledge sharing, professional training and institutional support.
The renewed engagement signals a growing partnership between the NSIB and the Benue State Government, one that seeks to move beyond reactive accident investigation towards a preventive safety culture anchored on collaboration, technical excellence and continuous capacity development.
It also reflects the Bureau’s broader commitment to working with state governments to strengthen transportation safety across Nigeria’s aviation, marine, rail and road sectors.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau is the multimodal transport agency charged with the mandate of promoting transport safety and conducting objective, comprehensive, and accurate investigations into transport accidents and incidents in Nigeria with the aim of identifying the probable causes and advocating for safety improvements based on our findings.
