Knowledge gaps, poor infrastructure biggest threats to workplace safety in Nigeria

…to reward top compliant firms with ambulances

From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja

The Nigerian Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) have identified poor awareness and inadequate safety infrastructure as the biggest threats to workplace safety in Nigeria, warning that preventable negligence continues to expose workers to injuries and deaths.

The organisations made this known on Friday in Abuja at a press conference ahead of the 2025 edition of the NSITF–NECA Safe Workplace Intervention Project (SWIP) interactive enlightenment forums and award ceremonies.

SWIP is a collaborative occupational health and safety initiative aimed at improving safety standards in Nigerian workplaces through structured audits, stakeholder engagement and incentives for compliance.

Under the 2025 exercise, 200 companies and organisations across the six geopolitical zones were audited on safety policies, infrastructure, emergency preparedness, leadership commitment and compliance with national and international best practices.

Speaking at the briefing, NECA Director-General, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, said many workplace hazards persist not because they are complex, but because they are ignored or poorly understood.

Oyerinde stressed that workplace health and safety is no longer optional, noting that the International Labour Organisation has elevated occupational safety and health to a core convention binding on all member states.

“The biggest gaps we see are knowledge, awareness and basic infrastructure. Many hazards are dismissed because they appear harmless. Even something as simple as a chair can become dangerous over time.

“Health and safety is now a human rights issue. Labour is not a commodity. There are human beings behind every job. Accidents are often irreversible, and even when victims survive, the scars remain,” he warned.

The DG also warned that employers who treat safety investment as a cost, as well as employees who ignore safety protocols or remain silent in unsafe environments, contribute to the problem. He noted that while NECA members are held to higher standards, non-compliance remains common among companies operating outside effective regulation.

As part of efforts to encourage compliance, Oyerinde, disclosed that outstanding organisations from the 2025 audits will be rewarded at the SWIP award ceremony, including the presentation of ambulances and other safety-related equipment.

“Some organisations have policies without implementation, others have plans but no emergency response. Those that demonstrate exceptional commitment to safety will be recognised and rewarded,” he added.

Also speaking, NSITF Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Oluwaseun Faleye, described SWIP as a critical tool for driving private-sector compliance with workplace safety and employee compensation laws.

“The Employees’ Compensation Act is robust, but the law alone is not enough. Collaboration with NECA has helped to drive awareness and compliance,” Faleye said, adding that recognition and incentives play a key role in changing behaviour.

He disclosed that the 2025 SWIP activities, which spilled into early 2026 due to operational exigencies, would kick off in Lagos on January 20, move to Enugu, and culminate in a grand finale and award ceremony in Abuja on January 27.