Ogun Moves to Strengthen Industrial Safety, Plans Safety Commission and Statewide Audit Programme
The Ogun State Government has announced plans to establish a Safety Commission and commence a comprehensive statewide industrial safety audit programme as part of efforts to strengthen workplace safety, improve regulatory compliance, and promote sustainable industrial growth.
The Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Ola Oresanya, disclosed this on Tuesday while declaring open a training workshop for safety personnel in the state, held under the theme, “Industrial Resilience and Safety Governance: Building a Culture of Compliance, Prevention and Sustainable Growth.”
Addressing participants, Oresanya described the workshop as a significant step towards creating an industrial environment where safety is embraced as a core organisational value rather than merely a legal requirement.
He noted that Ogun State’s status as one of Nigeria’s leading industrial hubs has continued to attract substantial local and foreign investments, creating employment opportunities and driving economic development. However, he stressed that industrial growth must be accompanied by effective safety systems, environmental protection measures, emergency preparedness, and sound risk management practices.
According to him, “Economic growth without safety is unsustainable. Development without resilience is vulnerable.”
The Commissioner disclosed that recent inspections, facility assessments and preliminary safety audits conducted by officials of the Ministry of Environment across industries in the state revealed that while many organisations have documented safety policies, there remains a significant gap between established procedures and actual workplace practices.
“Too often, safety exists in manuals rather than in behaviour. Too often, compliance is driven by inspections instead of conviction. Too often, risks are managed after incidents instead of before they occur. This reality demands a new approach,” he said.
Oresanya explained that the state government’s 2026 to 2028 Strategic Safety Transformation Agenda seeks to shift industrial safety from periodic regulatory inspections to a system driven by continuous risk assessment, proactive leadership, competent personnel, measurable performance indicators, and a strong culture of prevention.
As part of the reforms, he announced that the existing Safety Office would be transformed into a fully empowered Ogun State Safety Commission.
According to him, the proposed commission will strengthen policy implementation, enhance technical oversight, improve enforcement mechanisms, facilitate collaboration among stakeholders, and promote international best practices in occupational safety and environmental protection.
He added that the commission would also enable government and industries to work together in preventing accidents rather than merely responding to them.
The Commissioner also unveiled plans for a comprehensive Statewide Industrial Safety Audit Programme, describing it as a continuous improvement initiative rather than a punitive exercise.
“Our objective is to establish measurable safety performance benchmarks across industries, identify emerging risks before they result in incidents, and support organisations in developing practical solutions that strengthen operational resilience,” he stated.
He expressed confidence that at the end of the implementation cycle, every industrial facility operating within Ogun State would adopt measurable safety performance standards that promote accountability, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.
He further stressed that workplace safety should become a key performance indicator alongside production, quality, and profitability.
Speaking on the objectives of the training workshop, Oresanya said participants would receive practical training in strategic safety governance, applied risk engineering, incident investigation and root cause analysis, as well as the development of facility specific Safety Improvement Plans.
He described the competencies as practical management tools capable of saving lives, protecting investments, improving productivity, and enhancing corporate reputation.
The Commissioner urged participants to see themselves as strategic leaders within their organisations, emphasizing that they were not merely safety officers but risk managers and change agents whose decisions could determine the safety and wellbeing of workers.
He called on industries to complement government’s efforts by demonstrating greater commitment to responsible operations.
“Safety is not the responsibility of government alone. It is a shared responsibility. When government provides sound policies, industries embrace best practices, safety professionals demonstrate competence, and workers actively participate, together we create resilient industries, safer communities and a stronger economy,” he said.
Declaring the workshop open, Oresanya challenged participants to apply the knowledge gained in transforming workplace attitudes and strengthening safety culture across their organisations.
He urged them to ensure that the Safety Improvement Plans developed during the workshop become practical roadmaps for continuous improvement and important reference documents during future statewide safety audits.
The Commissioner reaffirmed the Ogun State Government’s commitment to making the state a national model for safe, sustainable, and responsible industrial development.
