The National Transport and Safety Board (NTSB) of the United States will train 22 staff of the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) through on-the-job (OJT) training procedure.
Commissioner and Managing Director of AIB, Akin Olateru, made this known at the weekend while briefing newsmen on the workshop organised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in conjunction with the NTSB at the agency’s head office, , the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.
Olateru remarked that when he took over as AIB Commissioner many of the staff of the agency did not undergo mandatory training to prepare them for the jobs they were expected to do, so he has made training the priority of his administration.
He said that this was what prompted him to swing into action immediately he was appointed about seven months to arrange meetings and staff training programme for AIB personnel.
“This is the fall out of the meeting I had with the NTSB in the United States of America, his counterparts from ICAO and others. Right now in this workshop, we had been trained on strategy and others”, he said.
According to Olateru, the essence of the workshop, which is also targeted at the Banjul Accord and the West Africa sub-region personnel, was not only for training but also to provide opportunity to discuss with the staff and share ideas.
Olateru also said that the meeting had assisted the Bureau in clarifying so many issues on accident investigation.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of NTSB, Dennis Jones, said AIB has robust accident investigation programmes when compared to other investigation agencies in Africa, adding that NTSB had invited AIB to teach accident investigation to related agencies in Africa in the past.
On accident rate, Jones stated that the rate of accident on the African continent had reduced compared to the 90s and 2000 when it was very high, stressing that a lot of measures had been put in place to reduce the rate of accident.
He said the essence of his visit was to train AIB staff, adding that he had also met with the staff, discussed and shared ideas.
He revealed that the NTSB in its existence for over 50 years had carried out 145,000 accident investigations, adding that he has spent many years around Africa, organizing workshops.
Olateru disclosed that Jones, who has over 40 years of experience in accident investigation, has investigated over 1, 000 accidents, adding that ‘this is why he brings his wealth of experience to us to exchange ideas in Nigeria.
‘His experience has helped us in clarifying grey areas in investigation”, he added.
