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By Lukman Olabiyi, Lagos
Amid stunning statistics that almost two million people die from work-related causes each year, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has lamented increasing incidents of deaths from occupational accidents and diseases suffered in the course of working in the country.
The governor, who stated this in his keynote address at the 2022 Lagos State occupational safety and health conference, with the theme, “Let’s Act Together To Build A Positive Safety And Health Culture,” organised by the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Relations and Lagos State Safety Commission, in Lagos, said the annual global event has not only helped to raise awareness and promote the entrenchment of safe practices in workplaces, in order to prevent the occurrences of accidents and diseases but has also ensured that employers of labour take the health and safety of their employees seriously.
The governor represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Folashade Sherifat Jaji, said: ‘’In Lagos, for several years now, we have consistently taken into consideration our population strength, and this has greatly influenced most of our policies and initiatives, especially as it comes to job creation, employee, employer relationship, as well as workplace safety.
‘Lagos is the economic capital of Nigeria, and by implication, our state has more companies, businesses and employers than other states. This means that we cannot afford to joke with or take lightly the safety of the workplace and health of employees, as doing this will have a detrimental implication on the individuals, families and the entire Lagos populace. Globally, a lot of injuries and accidents happen in workplaces and I believe this is what has increased the concern and demand for workplace safety and health.’
