The Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA) has called on its member states to urgently pay their 2025 financial contributions, warning that continued delays threaten to cripple the agency’s capacity to deliver on its regional mandate.
Speaking during the 12th Commission Meeting held in Abuja, BAGAIA Commissioner, Mr. Charles Erhueh, stressed that mounting arrears and stalled subscriptions are straining the agency’s limited resources and hindering critical investigative work.
He urged states to shift focus to settling current-year dues, saying economic hardship cannot be allowed to paralyse the agency’s operations.
“Let us focus on paying the current year,” Erhueh said. “Today is July; half the year is gone. What are we doing to pay in 2025?”
His remarks came amid growing concern over unpaid dues, some dating back to 2022, as member states continued to request waivers without offering alternative funding solutions.
Mr. Erhueh warned that repeated debt forgiveness could jeopardize the agency’s sustainability.
“If we continue to entertain these waivers without a concrete funding mechanism in place, we risk crippling our operations completely”.
Despite managing to keep up with basic activities such as maintaining the agency’s website, the BAGAIA Commissioner noted that more substantial plans, including regional training and investigator deployment remain stalled due to lack of funds.
“We have activities planned for this year, including in Guinea, but without funds, how do we function as an agency?”.
According to him, bureaucratic hurdles in some states have compounded the problem, with civil aviation authorities unable to make payments directly without ministry of finance clearance.
While these delays were acknowledged, Mr. Erhueh insisted they must not become a permanent excuse for inaction.
Discussions at the meeting also touched on the subscription rate structure, with some delegates arguing that high fees contribute to payment reluctance.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of IPIAAM, Jorge Manuel Rodrigues, suggested adjusting the subscription model to reflect each country’s financial capacity.
Ghana’s Acting Commissioner of the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau, Mr. John Mmeb Kunyan Wumborti, echoed this sentiment, describing the current payment structure as “unfair.”
He said, “The rate for Ghana is almost triple what others pay over three years. It’s not funny—it’s ridiculous.”
However, many delegates resisted proposals for blanket waivers.
Liberia’s Commissioner and CEO of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, Captain Moses Weefur, warned against undermining the financial base of the agency.
“If we begin waiving subscriptions without a sustainable alternative in place, who pays for training, for staffing, for investigations?”.
To address the long-term funding challenge, the commission revisited the idea of a passenger levy on airline tickets, proposed as a pilot between 2026 and 2030.
While this model may eventually reduce reliance on annual subscriptions, Mr. Erhueh reminded delegates that immediate obligations must still be met.
“That’s a long-term solution,” he said. “For now, we need to deal with the reality on the ground. We cannot wait for 2026 while the agency bleeds.”
By the close of the meeting, there was consensus that all states should prioritize payment of their 2025 dues as the first step toward financial stability and any future policy reforms. Commissioner of the Sierra Leone Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, Mr. Olubunmi Wellington, captured the mood succinctly:
“Start with the present. Pay 2025. Then we can talk about the rest. Otherwise, we’ll keep going in circles.”
Reporting by Nosa Aituamen