Nigerians lack safety orientation to avoid accidents – Omolade

Dapo Omolade, the CEO of Hybrid Group Limited, has urged the Federal House of Representatives, led by Honourable Tajudeen Abass, to pass a health and safety bill into law and increase awareness and advocacy to reduce the rate of accidents in the country.

According to Dapo Omolade, the establishment of a health and safety ministry by the Lagos State government is a commendable move that will create more employment opportunities for its citizens.

Omolade also stressed that other state governments should emulate this initiative to improve governance and reduce the rate of accidents in the country. Through the circular signed by the Lagos State Head of Service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, the bill signed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu will create occupational safety officers cadre in the civil service structure, from level 8 to grade level 17, providing opportunities for employment, training, and elevation of civil servants within the system.

“It is a smart move by Governor Sanwo-Olu and his team to establish occupational safety officers cadre from level 8 to grade level 8 within the Lagos state civil service structure. What it means is that the government has created more employment opportunities in the state to give chances to elevate some civil servants within the system.

He continued: Sometimes last year, the Federal Government and the National Council of Establishment decided in Abuja that the health and safety cadre and sub-cadre should be established in public service. This means that the Nigerian system can now have health and safety functions and roles at the federal ministry down to state ministries. For instance, just like we have research officers, inspections, inspectors, and scientific officers, we will now have safety officers, and they can progress from maybe safety officer one, depending on how they want to coin it. The Lagos State governor has approved the Federal Government initiative into the state governance, and as a safety expert, I’m thrilled about this development.

“The approval by the Federal Government allows safety professionals to move up to level 17, which is the director position, within the public service structure. This is great news as it signifies that the Federal Ministries and Parastatals have started the implementation process, thus ensuring that safety personnel can now reach the highest level in their career.”
Omolade, founder of Hybrid Group Limited, a key stakeholder in Nigeria’s provision for health, safety, and environmental sustainability

This initiative, according to him has the potential to create job opportunities for Nigerians, while also helping to minimize the number of avoidable accidents in the country.

“Many people are not aware that they can prevent certain accidents, and this has unfortunately resulted in financial losses for individuals due to damage to their property and other valuable possessions.”

The health and safety expert said that the initiative will remove the initial problem of overloading Safety Commissions with burdens.

“As the initiative moves from the federal level to the states, it’s now possible to visit workplaces and ask to meet with the Chief Operational Secure officer for this ministry. I need to speak with the director of operational safety. This eliminates the initial issue of having everything done by the safety commission. Currently, the Safety Commission only needs to collaborate with the safety system of each ministry as a regulator.”

He emphasized that to effectively implement the initiative, the government needs to invest in training and competence development.

“If there is a shortage of qualified individuals within the system, the government should advertise and employ safety professionals who are already trained and experienced. They can be employed in different grades based on their experience and qualifications, and eventually become professional safety personnel as civil servants.

He also noted that the idea of bringing in experienced safety professionals into the civil service is a beautiful thing.

“Health and Safety is a profession that requires proper training and experience. It’s not something that can be learned on the fly or just assigned to someone without the appropriate qualifications. If the government wants to create a team of Health and Safety officers, then it’s important to invest in a proper training program that can provide them with the necessary skills and knowledge. This will not only benefit the employees but also generate income for the state. Alternatively, if the government doesn’t have the resources to train them, they should advertise for qualified safety professionals to apply for the positions. There are many professionals out there who are looking for opportunities and would be happy to move to new positions if given the chance.”

“There are already safety professionals in the country, but there are also many individuals who are currently developing themselves in this field. Some are even undergoing training right now, eagerly waiting for job opportunities. However, it seems like there is still a shortage of safety professionals in society. If this shortage continues, it would mean that more people would be encouraged to pursue a career in safety. They could be trained, even if it takes six months or more because there are jobs available. This could also mean that some individuals who are currently unemployed or not working in the safety field may decide to move into this sector by undergoing the necessary training and learning.”

Omolade is calling on the educational authorities in Nigeria to prioritize the importance of health and safety as a course. Students must understand the significance of keeping themselves and others safe in all aspects of life.

“To ensure that health and safety can be developed and pursued as a career path within the civil service cadre, there is a need to establish an institution that focuses on providing the necessary training.”

“Currently, there is a gap in Nigeria as many universities do not offer degrees in health and safety. However, this is set to change as more universities will start offering such degrees. There are already some universities such as UI and UNIPORT that offer master’s degrees in health and safety operational safety. It’s important to recognize that health and safety is a discipline that requires formal education and training and that operational safety is a discipline that requires people to attend school and acquire the necessary knowledge and skills.

“All around the world, people are pursuing degrees in Health and Safety, but it’s not yet integrated into our curriculum. I can see the impact of this, and it’s time for the university commission, polytechnics, and other institutions to develop a curriculum. I believe that in the next 3, 4, or 5 years, we will be able to buy the JAMB brochure and see “Operational Safety” as a course.

“This will create a multi-value chain that will lead to more trained professionals and job opportunities. The most important outcome of this is that health and safety will become a way of life. This is what we’ve been advocating for – to make safety a way of life.

On why the government needs enforcement.”

“Unfortunately, some people in the public sector don’t take safety rules seriously. Recently, I witnessed something similar in my neighborhood. The public works department came to fill a pothole with bitumen and the worker doing the job was wearing slippers, which is a clear violation of safety rules. I approached him and advised him against it, but he just gave me an excuse that his shoes were bad. It’s concerning that people like him are risking their lives and that of others by being so careless.”

“It’s essential to have a well-trained safety officer who can ensure that safety protocols are being followed at all times. It’s not fair to blame the man for the accident, as he might not have been aware of the proper safety procedures. This is where the importance of training and competence comes into play. It’s crucial to have a ripple effect of safety measures being implemented from the Federal to the state level, which will ultimately benefit the entire country. Charity begins at home, and the enforcement of safety regulations within government ministries is vital to set an example for the private sector to follow. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved, and we should strive to make safety a top priority for the public sector.

The expert CEO believes that establishing better health and safety protocols can help to reduce the frequency of accidents in the country.

“It’s certainly a valid point, as safety measures can go a long way in preventing mishaps and ensuring that people are protected while on the job. It’s unfair to label people as stupid for not knowing the dangers of certain activities, especially when they have not been properly educated. For instance, it’s shocking to see people fueling generators that are still working, as this poses a severe risk to their lives. Unfortunately, these accidents have been occurring for years, with recent news reports highlighting the tragic deaths of families due to improperly placed generators.

The government must take an active approach to educate people on the dangers of such actions to prevent these accidents from happening.

I agree that safety awareness is a major issue in Nigeria today. Even in our cities, where we assume people are educated, safety measures are often ignored. It’s even worse in rural areas. Lack of awareness is a huge problem, and I believe that initiatives such as the circular signed by the Lagos state government and the federal government’s efforts will help raise awareness and promote education, training, and employment opportunities.

Tasking the House of Representative Members and Speaker Tajudeen Abass on Health and Safety bill

“The Federal House of Representatives, under the leadership of the Honourable Speaker, Tajudeen Abass, has an important task at hand. They need to ensure that the Health and Safety Bill is signed into law and properly enforced. It’s surprising that the Buhari administration hasn’t yet signed the bill, especially since it’s already in the House. Passing the bill would definitely help many Nigerians understand some key notes on avoiding accidents.”