Why Nigeria needs a stronger culture of occupational safety

When a Nigerian worker dies on the job, the explanation is often swift and convenient, framed as carelessness, non-compliance, or so-called human error rather than systemic failure.

This narrative is comforting because it individualises responsibility and shields institutions/organizations from scrutiny. Yet the persistence, scale, and predictability of workplace injuries and fatalities across Nigeria point to a far more troubling reality, one rooted in weak institutions, ineffective enforcement, and a profoundly deficient culture of occupational safety.

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), “approximately 2.93 million people die every year from occupational accidents and work-related diseases globally,” while 395 million non-fatal occupational accidents occur annually worldwide.

The ILO further estimates that the economic cost of occupational accidents and diseases amounts to about four percent of global GDP.

These figures demonstrate that occupational safety is not merely a labour issue but a public health and economic development concern.

Nigeria’s situation is particularly troubling. Although comprehensive national data remain limited due to underreporting, a study of fatal injuries reported to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity recorded 3,183 occupational injuries between 1987 and 1996, of which 71 were fatal, with fatality rates reaching 22 percent between 1990 and 1994, as reported by Ezenwa 2001 and later cited by Umeokafor and colleagues 2014.

Researchers consistently caution that these figures significantly underrepresent reality due to weak reporting systems and poor regulatory oversight.

The regulatory framework itself is a central weakness. Nigeria continues to rely heavily on the Factories Act of 1990, a revised colonial era law that fails to reflect contemporary workplace risks.

While the Labour, Safety, Health and Welfare Bill of 2012 was intended to address these deficiencies, delayed implementation and limited enforcement capacity have undermined its effectiveness. Importantly, researchers note that penalties under existing laws are often insignificant and non-deterrent, allowing organisations to treat safety violations as a manageable cost rather than an unacceptable risk.

Enforcement capacity remains critically low. Studies indicate that Nigeria has fewer than 100 factory inspectors responsible for overseeing thousands of workplaces nationwide, making routine inspection practically impossible.

This enforcement gap creates a regulatory environment where non-compliance is rarely sanctioned, and preventive safety management is discouraged.

Beyond law and enforcement, culture plays a decisive role. Empirical research on Nigeria’s construction sector shows that high power distance and weak accountability norms discourage workers from questioning unsafe instructions or reporting hazards (Okolie & Okoye, 2012). Safety failures in such contexts are not individual errors but predictable outcomes of hierarchical systems that silence worker participation.

The situation is further exacerbated by Nigeria’s large informal economy, where millions of workers operate outside effective regulatory protection. Here, occupational risk is normalised, and economic insecurity forces workers to accept hazardous conditions, effectively transferring risk from organisations to individuals.

A stronger culture of occupational safety therefore requires more than additional regulations. It demands a fundamental shift from reactive responses after tragedy to preventive, system-based risk management.

Government must modernise and enforce occupational safety legislation, invest in inspector capacity, and protect enforcement agencies from political interference. Employers must recognise that safety failures undermine productivity, reputation, and long-term viability.

Educational institutions and professional bodies must embed safety thinking into training, while workers must be legally empowered to refuse unsafe work without fear.

Munachimso Solomon Nduchegwo is a health, safety and environmental professional with over five years of experience in Nigeria and the United Kingdom and the founder of SANEP Consulting Group, which focuses on sustainable wastewater management, HSE training, and environmental advocacy.

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