Nigeria Hosts BAGAIA Board of Directors' Extraordinary Meeting

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has hosted the Extraordinary Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA) in Abuja between 4th and 7th August 2026.

The high-profile meeting, which had in attendance members of the BAGAIA Board of Directors, Directors-General of Civil Aviation, the Head of the Banjul Accord Group (BAG) Secretariat, the BAGAIA Commissioner and other delegates from member states of the BAG, was to deliberate on key governance, operational and strategic issues aimed at strengthening the agency and advancing regional co-operation in aircraft accident and incident investigation.

In his welcome remarks, the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Chris Najomo, while expressing delight at hosting the meeting in Nigeria, underscored the importance of collective efforts in addressing the challenges confronting BAGAIA.

He, therefore, urged delegates to engage in open and constructive deliberations that would strengthen the Agency’s institutional capacity and ensure its continued contribution to aviation safety across the region.

Some of the far-reaching issues deliberated at the meeting included the recruitment and employment conditions of the BAGAIA Commissioner; the Agency’s financial position and member states’ contributions; implementation of decisions of the BAG Council of Ministers; operational and strategic activities; expansion and staffing needs; and the contractual status of the Training Support/Technical Director.

A key highlight of the meeting was the election of Engr Jorge Manuel Rodrigues (from Cape Verde) as the new Chairperson of the BAGAIA Board of Directors, following the expiration of the tenure of the previous chairperson, in line with the Agency’s governance framework.

The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of BAG member states to strengthen BAGAIA’s governance, enhance financial sustainability, improve institutional capacity and foster greater regional collaboration in support of aviation safety within the BAG region.

BAGAIA is an independent regional body under the BAG, established to investigate aircraft accidents, build safety capacity, and set aviation standards across member states in West Africa, including Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.