NECA Reaffirms Workplace Safety as Human Rights Issue

By Chinedu Echianu

The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has reaffirmed the growing importance of occupational safety and health (OSH) in the private sector.

NECA’s Director General, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, described it as both a legal obligation and a human rights issue.

He said this follows the elevation of OSH to a core convention of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), making it binding on all member states regardless of ratification.

Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja on the Safe Workplace Intervention Project (SWIP), Oyerinde noted that the development places stronger obligations on employers to align workplace practices with international standards.

He explained that perceptions of workplace safety have shifted beyond regulatory compliance to issues of human dignity, stressing that workers are not commodities and that workplace injuries carry human rights implications.

Oyerinde said NECA’s renewed collaboration with the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), with support from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, led to the revival of SWIP.

The initiative promotes voluntary compliance with OSH standards rather than relying solely on enforcement.

According to him, the programme will recognise and reward organisations that demonstrate excellence in workplace safety, adding that showcasing best-performing companies would encourage wider compliance, while sanctions would apply where voluntary adherence fails.

NECA also highlighted emerging OSH challenges linked to remote work and the growing use of artificial intelligence, noting that existing frameworks do not clearly address work-related accidents outside traditional workplaces.

On the credibility of the SWIP awards, organisers said independent external audits were conducted outside NECA and NSITF, under the supervision of the Ministry of Labour, with an additional safety auditor engaged.

Oyerinde disclosed that top-performing organisations were selected across the six geopolitical zones, with ambulances to be awarded in Lagos, Enugu and Abuja.

Beneficiaries will also receive personal protective equipment, fire extinguishers and other safety tools.

The SWIP programme will feature three major events in Lagos, Enugu and Abuja this January, with participation expected from government officials, organised labour and other stakeholders.

NECA and NSITF urged the media to report objectively on the process, stressing that transparency and integrity are central to the project’s success.