The Association of Foreign Airlines Representatives in Nigeria (AFARN) has honoured the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) with the award as the Most Innovative Aviation Agency.

The award was conferred on them at a summit and award ceremony held recently at the Sheraton Hotels and Suites in Lagos.

It is the latest in the series of awards which AIB has received from aviation sub-sector stakeholders for its performance in aircraft accident and incident investigation.

Receiving the award, the commissioner and chief executive officer of the agency, Mr. Akin Olateru commended the organisers for recognising the agency’s performance.

Olateru noted that since the new management came onboard in January 2017, it had released more accident reports and safety recommendations than any management before it.

“So far, 45 per cent of safety recommendations released to the public since 2006 have been released by the current management,” he said.

The commissioner assured that the award would further spur on the management to continue in the discharge of its performance to the industry, stressing that Nigeria through AIB’s safety recommendations would further be improved in the industry.

“I am very glad to receive this award on behalf of AIB. This award goes to show to the world that AIB has been contributing to the growth of the industry ever since it was established.

“Since we came onboard, we have released more accident and incident reports and recommendations than any other management before us. The fact is we will continue to do more and contribute our quota to the development of the industry as a whole.

“As at today, we have released 35 final reports and a total of 147 safety recommendations since the inception of AIB. We believe that this has impacted  air safety, not only in Nigeria, but globally.

“With 66 safety recommendations out of 147 and 16  final reports out of 35 recorded from January 2017 to date, we have achieved 45 per cent of our safety recommendation and 46 per cent of publication of the accident and serious incident report,” he said.