How Commonwealth is 'striking a blow' for ILO

This World Day for Safety and Health at Work (Friday 28 April 2023), the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the world’s leading chartered professional body for people responsible for safety and health in the workplace, celebrates the 10 months that have passed since the International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted a safe and healthy work environment as a fundamental principle and right.

With IOSH being part of the family of Commonwealth-accredited organisations, we’re doing this by focusing on the Commonwealth’s growing commitment to developing good occupational safety and health (OSH). So, here we profile OSH professionals from 10 Commonwealth players (including the Commonwealth Secretariat, in London) – one for each month since the historic ILO adoption – to show how they’ve each ‘struck a blow’ for the ILO… and an exciting new era for OSH around the globe.

Here are two profiles from Nigeria and you can catch these and all the other 8 Commonwealth profiles online:

Innovation helps Lagos get to grips with Covid-19

Lanre Mojola – Nigeria

Lanre Mojola is Director General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, an agency of the Lagos State Government that formulates policies, provides advisory services and is the state regulator for occupational safety practices. The Commission’s vision is to make safety a lifestyle in Lagos state.

Lanre ‘strikes a blow’ for the ILO

When Covid-19 arrived in Lagos State in 2020, forming the epicentre of the outbreak in Nigeria, Lanre led the Commission in fighting back with a package of innovative measures to reduce the spread of the virus among the state’s 25 million-plus residents.

The focus was the introduction of an online register for over 6,000 public facilities, ranging from bars to event venues, gyms to restaurants, spas to parks, for example. The Commission then physically verified these locations and gave them the Covid compliance status they needed to reopen and continue operations.

Hailed as a huge success, this initiative flattened the curve of spread of the virus, while the Commission continues to update the database, ensuring audited facilities are issued safety compliance certificates on a yearly basis. This single initiative also brought about a significant reduction in incidents that cause injuries and fatalities in the state.

“A safe and healthy workplace is possible if leaders and followers show strong commitment while cultivating a culture of openness and shared responsibility,” says Lanre.

“Thanks to the new online register, Lagosians continue to have their weddings, parties and other social events knowing they are safe and secure.”

Spearheading a safer, healthier workplace for all

Busola Alofe – Nigeria

Busola Alofe is Managing Partner and CEO of The Bristlecone Experience Ltd (aka TBEXL), the consulting firm she founded in 2022 after 30 years as a global business and HR leader. Busola’s passion for OSH saw her work on a recent collaboration with IOSH and the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) to promote the OSH and (dis)Ability agenda across Nigeria, working with corporates, smaller enterprises and governments.

Busola ‘strikes a blow’ for the ILO

As Registrar/CEO of Nigeria’s Apex HR Regulatory Body (CIPM) from 2020-22, Busola forged strategic partnerships with IOSH and Sightsavers, a charity that works in over 30 countries in Africa and Asia to prevent avoidable blindness, help combat disease and fight for the rights of people with disabilities.

Focused on enabling a safer, healthier world of work for all, these partnerships have developed, promoted and implemented OSH and Human Resource Management best practices, using the HR Body of Knowledge as a lever to strengthen OSH awareness, skills and behaviours.

“This work, which has delivered OSH webinars and training, has established CIPM as the Nigerian Business Disability Network (NBDN) hub,” says Busola.

“By executing empathy-driven initiatives, the NBDN has improved the employment, nurturing and development of people living with disability as ‘talent with special abilities.”

Busola is firmly behind the words of IOSH Head of Policy, Ruth Wilkinson, when she said: “Employers are responsible for the health, safety and welfare of all their employees, including those with disabilities, and health and safety can be an enabler that supports disabled workers to work.”

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