TSC Dispute: NSIB Warns 2% Funding Cut Could Undermine Safety

The Director-General of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Captain Alex Badeh, has warned that the proposed reduction of the agency’s share of the Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) from six per cent to four per cent could undermine accident investigations and safety operations across the country.

Badeh raised the concern against the backdrop of a public hearing by the House of Representatives, where the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) advocated a reduction in NSIB’s allocation as part of ongoing discussions on funding for aviation agencies.

The dispute centres on the five per cent TSC collected through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and distributed among aviation agencies.

Under the existing arrangement, NSIB receives six per cent of the allocation, while the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) receives seven per cent.

NAMA is seeking to reduce NSIB’s share to four per cent, effectively creating room for a larger allocation to itself.

Speaking during an interaction with journalists, Badeh questioned the rationale for reducing NSIB’s allocation, stressing that the Bureau already receives the lowest percentage among the agencies benefiting from the fund.

“We get the lowest percentage of all the agencies, actually,” the NSIB Director-General said.

“And with this proposed reduction, of course, it’s going to negatively affect the NSIB.”

He said the impact would be particularly significant because NSIB’s responsibilities have expanded beyond aviation to include investigations involving maritime, rail and road transport.

According to him, the Bureau is already experiencing funding shortfalls under the existing six per cent arrangement, making any further reduction a major concern.

Badeh disclosed that NSIB had not received its full six per cent allocation since around April or May, although the shortfall had not prevented the Bureau from carrying out investigations or developing its multimodal capabilities.

“We are working on a more sustainable funded formula for the NSIB,” he said.

“I’m not sure what that’s going to look like yet, but we are talking with the NRS and the Presidency to figure this out.”

He said the objective was to establish a more sustainable funding structure that would enable the Bureau to discharge its responsibilities without depending on uncertain revenue flows.

The funding debate comes as NSIB advances its transition from the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to the Presidency.

Badeh said the transition was substantially complete, with legislative amendments now awaiting the Attorney-General before being considered by the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly.

The House of Representatives had previously approved the legislative framework for the transfer of the Bureau to the Presidency.

Beyond TSC, Badeh said NSIB was also pursuing funding expected from other transport agencies.

He disclosed that the Bureau had not received applicable funds from the Nigerian Railway Corporation, while the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) had disputed its obligation to remit certain charges.

He, however, commended the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for its cooperation, noting that NSIB receives five per cent of the Passenger Service Charge from the agency.

The NSIB DG said the broader funding challenge should not be viewed solely from the perspective of which transport mode generates a particular revenue stream.

He argued that accident investigation is a safety responsibility that ultimately protects the same Nigerian population that uses aircraft, trains, roads and waterways.

“If you think safety is expensive, try an accident,” Badeh said.

He warned that reducing funding for accident investigation could affect the Bureau’s ability to investigate incidents, issue safety recommendations and help prevent similar accidents in the future.

The concern is particularly significant given NSIB’s expanding multimodal mandate.

Badeh disclosed that the Bureau now has about six maritime accident investigators and has strengthened their capacity through specialised training.

He added that NSIB was also bringing international experts into Nigeria to train investigators locally, as part of efforts to build indigenous capacity.

The Bureau has similarly expanded its road accident investigation capabilities.

Badeh said NSIB investigators had worked on several road crashes, including the accident involving British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua.

He said the Bureau had also completed reports on other incidents and was awaiting responses from relevant stakeholders before releasing the final findings.

According to him, the proposed TSC reduction would be particularly challenging because NSIB is still a relatively young agency while its mandate continues to expand.

He said the Bureau was working to move beyond its traditional aviation-investigation focus and develop stronger expertise across all transport modes under its jurisdiction.

Badeh also rejected arguments that safety funding should be determined by the transport mode responsible for generating the revenue.

“The world has moved on, Nigeria’s moved on. We should look at it that same way.”

He maintained that the country needed a sustainable funding structure that would allow NSIB to effectively perform its responsibilities without being constrained by unpredictable revenue.

The proposed reduction of NSIB’s TSC allocation has therefore widened the debate over the adequacy of statutory funding arrangements across Nigeria’s transport sector.

For NSIB, the concern is that reducing its share from six per cent to four per cent could create a mismatch between its growing responsibilities and the resources available to carry them out.

Badeh said discussions with the Presidency and other relevant authorities were ongoing, expressing hope that a more sustainable funding arrangement would provide greater certainty for the Bureau in the next budget cycle.