FG Pushes for National Workplace Intervention Action Plan for Enhanced Safety
The Federal Government has mandated stakeholders to contribute to the development of a comprehensive National Workplace Intervention Action Plan, aimed at mitigating consequences of emerging occupational safety and health (OSH) issues in Nigeria.
At a Stakeholders’ Retreat on Workplace Intervention to Emerging OSH Issues in Nigeria, organized by the Ministry of Labour and Employment in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Salihu Usman, emphasized the need for swift and collective action.
Represented by the Director of Human Resources Management, Mrs. Catherine Lami Bulus, Usman highlighted the pressing concerns posed by emerging OSH issues, which arise from rapid technological advancements, Artificial Intelligence (AI), demographic shifts, economic instability, rising insecurity, climate change, and globalization.
Usman stressed that these emerging issues can have devastating consequences, transforming into disasters that require coordinated intervention from multiple stakeholders. He underscored the importance of identifying, evaluating, and controlling emerging conditions in the work environment that can adversely affect workers’ health, safety, and well-being.
The primary objectives of the retreat, according to Usman, include analyzing and evaluating workplace interventions to address emerging OSH issues, as well as formulating a comprehensive Workplace Intervention Guide.
This guide will provide a framework for stakeholders to respond to large-scale emerging trends, clarify their roles and responsibilities, and foster inter-ministerial and inter-agency collaboration in OSH management.
In a statement, Patience Onuobia, Head of Press and Public Relations at the ministry, quoted Usman as saying: “The retreat aims to develop a coordinated response to emerging OSH issues, highlighting the critical roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in the National Occupational Safety and Health Management System.”
Usman reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to revitalizing Nigeria’s OSH Management System through regular stakeholder consultations, effective supervision of emergency preparedness and response plans, and a proactive approach to addressing large-scale emerging OSH incidents.
Lauretta Adogu, Director of the OSH Department, welcomed participants and emphasized the retreat’s goal of identifying mitigation strategies and analyzing the proposed Workplace Intervention Guide. The guide, she explained, will provide a practical tool for tackling emerging OSH issues in Nigeria, facilitating open dialogue, and knowledge exchange among stakeholders.
The retreat brought together social partners and stakeholders from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of Government, with the aim of discussing and recommending areas where stakeholders can expand their roles and responsibilities in preventing emerging OSH issues.
