Chief Dr. Udeizi Stephen, President of the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria, ISPON, has called on the Federal and State governments to integrate safety education into the nation’s school curriculum, warning that Nigeria’s safety compliance level remains “at a low pace.”
Speaking to Journalists at Abuja ISPON summit 2026, Dr. Udeizi said safety must be taught from basic education so Nigerians can understand simple precautions for daily living.
“This event is part of our process to reach out to Nigerians and give them proper education on how safety should look like,” he stated. “When you look at the concept of safety, Nigeria is still at a low pace when it comes to people taking precautionary measures regarding environmental, medical and other forms of safety.”
He said ISPON has been engaging engineers and professionals through workshops, seminars, webinars and conferences to promote safety culture. However, he stressed that a long-term solution requires teaching citizens “how to live safely, how to work safely, how to eat safely, even how to sleep safely.”
Dr. Udeizi advised Nigerians to raise their level of compliance with existing safety laws and regulations.
“Nigeria has all the necessary laws, not only on safety but in other areas. But how do we read these laws? How do people sit down, look at these laws and read them correctly? Are we following them?” he asked. “Once everybody knows their rights and responsibilities in this country, I’m sure there will be a better place for all of us.”
He urged regulatory bodies empowered to protect safety to increase enforcement and visibility. The ISPON president also appealed to media houses to give more coverage to safety issues through interviews and public awareness campaigns.
“Nigerians should comply with safety rules and regulations in public places. We are asking for more visibility, more interviews from media houses like yours, so the message of safety can reach every Nigerian,” he added.
ISPON has been at the forefront of promoting occupational and public safety standards across Nigeria through professional training and advocacy.
Prof. Ehiz Odigir-Okpataku ,Keynote speaker Speaking on the theme _“Mental well-being in the workplace: The strategic role of safety officers in promoting healthy minds, safer work environments and sustainable productivity”_, Prof. Odigir-Okpataku argued that mental health is now a core safety issue.
“Safety officers can no longer focus only on physical hazards,” she said. “Promoting healthy minds, safer work environments and sustainable productivity must go hand in hand. The strategy is prevention, early intervention, and building a culture where workers feel safe to speak up.”
She urged organizations to equip safety professionals with training on psychosocial risks like stress, burnout and workplace violence, noting that mentally healthy teams record fewer accidents and higher output.
The highlights of the event was bestowed of Safety Award to the Chief of Naval staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas who was represented by Deputy Chief Naval Safety Standard, Rear Admiral Paul NinyetRear Admiral Ponfa Paul Nimmyel at the occasion.
The Chief of Navy staff assured ISPON that Navy will collaborate with them in enhancing safety in the country.
Other activities were panel session, goodwill messages from stakeholders and induction of new members into the profession.
