Equatorial Guinea has expressed strong interest in joining the Banjul Accord Group Accident Investigation Agency (BAGAIA), signaling its commitment to regional safety cooperation and capacity development for aircraft accident and incident investigation.
The development was confirmed on the sidelines of the 42nd International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Assembly in Montreal.
A high-level meeting between Commissioner of BAGAIA, Engineer Charles Erhueh, and the Minister of Civil Aviation of Equatorial Guinea, Exemo. Sr. Narberth B. Monsuy Mane Andeme, alongside the country’s Permanent Representative to ICAO, Mr. Esono Anguesomo, discussed the modalities of membership and pathways available to Equatorial Guinea under the recently amended legal framework of BAGAIA.
The discussions focused on the way forward, as provided in the legal instrument of BAGAIA, with the Commissioner stressing that Equatorial Guinea’s inclusion would further strengthen the regional accident investigation mechanism. The Equatorial Guinea delegation praised BAGAIA’s progress in strengthening aviation safety oversight and emphasised the importance of regional collaboration in improving aviation safety frameworks.
Joining BAGAIA would give Equatorial Guinea access to shared expertise, pooled technical resources, and structured training opportunities, vital for effective safety oversight.
This move is seen as a positive signal of Equatorial Guinea’s long-term commitment to safety, transparency, and accountability in civil aviation, and would expand BAGAIA’s reach in West and Central Africa, reinforcing the principle of harmonisation in line with ICAO’s standards and recommended practices.