Former Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Engineer Seyi Sijuwade, has issued a strong warning against the continued practice of internal investigations into rail accidents, insisting that allowing operational staff to probe incidents they are part of undermines the credibility of findings and puts public safety at risk.
Speaking at the Multimodal Transportation Stakeholders Workshop hosted by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) in Abuja, Sijuwade described the current system as a “conflict-ridden structure” where those responsible for managing rail operations are also tasked with investigating their own failings.
“Those operating the trains should never be the ones probing accidents involving the same trains.
“Critical evidence disappears. And not by coincidence. It’s driven by fear of punishment and the instinct to shield colleagues,” Sijuwade declared
The workshop, themed “Strengthening Transport Safety Standards Through Collaboration,”brought together regulators, operators, and safety experts from across Nigeria’s transport sectors to review strategies for improving accident prevention and emergency response.
Drawing from his years of experience, Sijuwade warned that the lack of independent oversight has led to distorted reports, institutional cover-ups, and repeated safety lapses.
“We’ve seen reports that shield senior officers when the real cause is poor maintenance or operational negligence. If the same hands managing the trains are writing the reports, there will be no accountability,” he said.
He called for a permanent shift to independent, expert-led investigations headed by the NSIB, noting that the Bureau’s mandate is not to apportion blame but to determine causes and prevent future occurrences.
“When a crash happens, the first point of contact should be the NSIB. Not the police. Not security agents,” he said.
He added: “They are trained to ask the right questions without interference.”
Sijuwade urged Nigeria to adopt global best practices by separating train operations, regulation, and accident investigation, citing the United Kingdom’s model as an example of institutional independence and effectiveness.
“In the UK, the Office of Rail and Road regulates, while the Railway Accident Investigation Branch investigates. Neither runs the trains. Here, the NRC does all three. That has to change.”
He also recommended the establishment of an enforcement agency to ensure that safety recommendations issued by NSIB are implemented, pointing out that most agencies responsible for accidents often ignore or delay necessary reforms.
“Expecting the same institution that caused the incident to correct itself is unrealistic. We need an authority that enforces safety compliance independently.”
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