Members of the African Students Union Parliament (ASUP) has decorated the Director General, Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, ( NSIB), Engr. Akin Olateru as ”Icon of Aviation sector development” following his conferrment with the Pan African prize for excellence.
Presenting the award to the NSIB boss at the Bureau’s Headquarters in Abuja on Monday, the leader of the delegation, ComradeFranscine Etongo, University du Kwaikale 1, Younde, Cameroon, said the Director General of the Bureau was honoured with the award in recognition of his remarkable achievement in the conduct of quality investigation of aircraft accidents and Incident and timely release of reports, which has ensured a safer airspace in Africa and beyond.
This, according to Etongo, is as NSIB under his leadership has witnessed a tremendous success in the area of man power development infrastructures, process and system – engineering, among others.
Receiving the award, Olateru, expressed gratitude to the members of the African Students Union Parliament(ASUP) for acknowledging his efforts in inter agency collaboration and partnership with other african countries for a secure airspace in Africa and beyond.
He added that, this award will encourage the Bureau to double efforts to consolidate on the gains it has recorded in fulfilment of its mandate.
He noted that, NSIB in its inter agency collaboration agenda has assisted the Republic of Gambia to set up the country’s Accident Investigation Agency, while collaborative efforts is on going with the Republic of Sierra Leon to also establish an independent air accident Investigation Agency of the country.
Explaining the gains the Bureau has recorded in its technical and strategic assistances in the West African countries further, Olateru said the Bureau has also assisted Sao Tome and Principe to carry out aircraft accident investigation in the country while NSIB is currently assisting Cameroon in conducting an investigation into one of the fatal air crash that occurred in that country with the downloading of the black box done in Nigeria.
According to Olateru, using the NSIB Safety laboratory located in Abuja, the investigation of the occurrence is at the final stage .
He explained that the Bureau under him has done a lot to help African countries and therefore very happy that all these efforts did not go unnoticed as the award was a clear testimony of that.
He appreciated the honour done to him and thanked members of the African Students Union Parliament (ASUP) for the award.
Formerly Accident Investigation Bureau, NSIB is a multimodal safety investigation agency covering aviation, maritime, rail and any other transport mode.
