President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the relocation of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) from the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to the Presidency, effectively overriding the position earlier maintained by the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo.

Although the specific office within the Presidency that will supervise the bureau has not yet been disclosed, sources confirmed that the President has granted approval for the agency to operate directly under the Presidency.

The decision brings to an end months of disagreement over the most appropriate institutional home for the bureau. While several stakeholders and lawmakers had advocated removing the NSIB from the aviation ministry to guarantee operational independence, Keyamo had maintained that the agency should remain within the ministry.

A document obtained on Friday confirmed the presidential approval for the agency’s relocation. In the document, Tinubu noted that the bureau would function more effectively if it reported directly to the Presidency.

Earlier advice supporting the move came from Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit. In a letter dated November 3, 2025, she recommended transferring the bureau out of the aviation ministry, arguing that the current structure limits its ability to fully discharge its responsibilities.

According to her, the bureau’s mandate extends beyond aviation to include investigations of marine, rail and other transport-related accidents, making oversight by a single-sector ministry restrictive.

Usman also cited international practice, pointing to agencies such as the National Transportation Safety Board in the United States, which operate independently and report to the highest levels of government to ensure credibility and transparency in accident investigations.

She explained that relocating the NSIB to the Presidency would strengthen the enforcement of safety regulations across Nigeria’s transport sectors while improving transparency, accountability and public confidence in investigative outcomes.

The recommendation also proposed that the bureau report to the Presidency through the Office of the National Security Adviser.

In response, the President conveyed his approval in a letter dated March 5, 2026, signed by his Private Secretary, Damilola Aderemi, formally ending the bureau’s administrative control by the aviation ministry.

The move follows earlier indications that the Federal Government, with support from the National Assembly of Nigeria, was considering removing the agency from the aviation ministry’s oversight.

Despite resistance from the aviation ministry, sources within the transport sector had argued that relocating the bureau to the Presidency would strengthen its independence and effectiveness.

The NSIB, which investigates transportation accidents across land, air and water, has repeatedly called for improved funding and greater autonomy to enhance its operations.

During a public hearing held in Abuja in June 2025 by the joint committees on Special Duties and Aviation, the ministry opposed the proposed change. The then Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Abubakar Kana, urged lawmakers to keep the bureau within the aviation ministry while improving its operational framework to ensure functional independence.

However, the President’s latest approval has now settled the matter, paving the way for the bureau to operate directly under the Presidency.