Safety environment for workers: Nigeria should do more to protect employees – ILO

• As Labour ministry redoubles efforts on sensitisation.

AKOR SYLVESTER, Abuja

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has urged Nigeria to do more to secure a safe environment for its workers, who face challenges of work hazards on a daily basis.

ILO health officer, Ojobo Ada who stated this at a rally and medical outreach at Gudu market in Abuja, Thursday to commemorate the “World Day for Safety and Health at Workplace”, said efforts should be intensified by the government to ensure that workers indulge in the right safety procedures while at work.

The ILO health officials said it was in that regard that the organization has been supporting the Ministry of Health to safeguard a worker-friendly environment for Nigerian workers, but noted that much has not been achieved in that area.

According to the health officer, workers deserve a safe environment to be more productive and contribute to the development of the country.

The ILO officer said, “This particular programme World Day for Safety at Workplace is a Programme that ILO has been supporting over the year. We are partnering with the Ministry of Labour and NLC to make this programme a success over the years, we have been supporting the ministry of Labour financially and technically this year is also not an exemption and we also have to support them.

“When you talk of safety environment, Nigeria is not doing much, that is the truth about it. You see so many people that have problems in their place of work. Most of them do come to Labour Congress for help, and by the time they send them back to their employers, what we hear from them is not good at all.

“By the time they decide to take it up, most of these employers, have their connections, and as an employee, whenever you want to go to court, they have lawyer there. So Nigeria needs to do more. The ministry of labour needs to do more for their workers in terms of helping their workers. As far as we are concern, they’re not doing much. ILO on our own, we’ve been doing a lot to support them in that area.

“You see the laws are there but the implementation is the problem. If the government can wake up and implement it to the letter, let all employers do it the way it is in the law, we won’t have all these problems.

Speaking, the Director of, Occupational Safety and Health Department, Mrs. Laureate Adogu said the ministry was not relenting in its efforts in ensuring that workers are safe while performing their duties.

She said, “We are here today to implement the National Policy on Occupational Safety into both formal and informal sectors. So, that is why we are here and in all workplaces.

“There are some hazards that are inherent in such places. Like here we learned that they use chemicals. We have chemical hazards and what are hazards? Hazards are conditions that can result in accidents and diseases. Accidents can cause injury and disability and cause a lot of problems for the family.

On whether there is compliance, the director said, “Well the compliance level is not yet very high, but it is coming up. We have done at Kugbo and they are now aware of safety and health in workplaces, especially informal sectors. I believe there will be a lot of improvements.

“We have penalties and people who do not comply, normally we have instructors who go round the factories and they have been doing prosecution, prohibition, and warning notices.

“We give cautionary letters. After each inspection, there is always a report and there is always a cautionary letter to all the occupiers”.

The theme for the 2023 World Day for Safety and Health at Work is: “A Safe and Healthy Working Environment as a Fundamental Principle and Right at Work.”