By Joan Nwagwu
The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has stepped up its nationwide campaign to promote occupational safety and health standards among employers.
The campaign, tagged “Programme on Safety Regulations, Policies and Standards,” is being implemented by the Fund’s Health, Safety and Environment Department across selected locations nationwide to strengthen workplace safety practices.
Stakeholder engagements are currently taking place in Bauchi, Jos and Kaduna, following an earlier phase conducted in Owerri, Port Harcourt and Lagos, with strong employer participation recorded.
The initiative seeks to deepen employers’ understanding of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) frameworks, challenges and opportunities while encouraging organisations to adopt safer workplace practices and improve compliance.
According to a statement by NSITF Head of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Alexandra Mede, the programme is designed to strengthen employers’ capacity to develop effective workplace safety policies.
Mede said the programme would promote collaboration among stakeholders while exposing employers to emerging technologies and innovations for preventing workplace accidents, occupational hazards and related incidents.
“The programme is designed to build practical skills in risk prevention, incident investigation and safety leadership among employers and other stakeholders,” she said.
She said the engagements would strengthen participants’ understanding of safety regulations and encourage organisations to integrate Occupational Safety and Health into their broader business strategies.
The statement said 85 employers were invited to each of the three current locations, but attendance had exceeded expectations across the participating centres during the ongoing engagements.
It said more than 100 employers participated in each session during the first phase of the campaign held in Owerri, Port Harcourt and Lagos.
According to the Fund, the strong participation demonstrated growing interest among employers in strengthening workplace safety and improving compliance with established occupational health and safety standards.
NSITF said the campaign was aimed at moving Occupational Safety and Health beyond a mere compliance requirement and making workplace safety a core component of business strategy.
The Fund said employers would also be equipped with modern tools and technologies to identify workplace risks, prevent incidents and improve overall safety performance across different sectors.
It noted that increasing workplace incidents and compensation claims in some sectors underscored the need for stronger safety leadership, improved risk management and effective preventive measures.
“Employers must strengthen their capacity to identify workplace risks, investigate incidents and implement measures that prevent recurrence,” the Fund said.
NSITF said effective workplace safety required sustained collaboration among employers, workers, regulators and other stakeholders to ensure safer and healthier working environments nationwide.
The Bauchi, Jos and Kaduna engagements, which began on Tuesday, Aug. 18, are expected to end on Thursday, Aug. 20, as part of the ongoing nationwide outreach.
The Fund said it would extend the stakeholder outreach to other parts of the country to promote wider adoption of occupational safety and health standards among employers.
It said the nationwide campaign remained part of its broader commitment to preventing workplace accidents, protecting workers and strengthening social security in Nigeria.