THE dignity of the Nigerian worker has been steadily eroded. It is imperative that the federal and state governments, alongside the Nigeria Labour Congress, join forces to restore the dignity and safety of workers nationwide. Workers do not deserve humiliation, injury, or death for earning a living.
In a step forward, the Ogun State Government has launched an investigation into the tragic deaths of Abayomi and Pastor, employees at Quantum Steel Industry in Ogijo, Sagamu LGA.
Abayomi reportedly died after being ordered by an expatriate to remove scrap stuck in a scraping machine. Pastor lost his life when a bucket machine struck his chest during a night shift. Just weeks earlier, seven other employees at the same plant were reportedly injured in an explosion.
As factories proliferate on the Lagos-Ibadan corridor and beyond, it is crucial that federal, state, and local regulators vigilantly monitor these workplaces to enforce safety standards that protect Nigerian workers’ lives.
Sadly, these tragedies are not isolated. The country is flooded with heartbreaking stories of hardworking Nigerians losing their lives due to negligence by both foreign and local companies.
In January, two male workers died in a diesel reservoir accident at a company in Ikosi, Kosofe LGA, Lagos.
In 2024, a Chinese national, Gz Zhen, was accused of pushing Vivian Ocheze, a female crane operator at Inner Galaxy Steel Company in Abia State, to her death.
In 2021, 17-year-old Babatunde Abdulrahman died after being sucked into a PVC mixer on his first day at Mingyi Trading Company in Lagos.
In 2020, Richard Gbadebo, a 21-year-old University of Ibadan student, slipped into a soap-making machine at Expand Global Manufacturing Ltd in Oyo State and succumbed to his injuries.
These incidents expose the deplorable state of workplace safety enforcement in Nigeria.
Workplace safety encompasses measures and procedures that organisations use to protect employees from injuries and fatalities. It includes hazard identification, risk management, employee training, legal compliance, safety culture promotion, regular inspections, emergency preparedness, and health and wellness programmes.
Yet, Nigerian workers earn a meagre minimum wage of N70,000 monthly, face rampant casualisation, and are deprived of adequate benefits, insurance, or compensation. They endure gruelling hours without regard for their health, financial security, or dignity.
The government must intensify oversight and penalise factories that flout safety regulations. International safety standards should be harmonised with Nigerian labour laws, and safeguards must be put in place to prevent bribery and undue influence over inspectors.
Beyond safety, in sectors such as banking, workers are exploited by the widespread practice of casualisation, driven by a saturated labour market and desperation for jobs
It is illegal under Nigerian labour laws to keep employees as outsourced staff for more than two years, but many banks have been found to retain outsourced workers for longer periods to cut costs.
A robust whistleblowing system is essential, empowering workers to report safety and labour law violations without fear. The value of every Nigerian life must be upheld with the same seriousness as seen in the United States. The government must protect workers from undue exploitation.
Moreover, national and state legislatures must fulfil their mandate by reviewing labour laws to shield workers from poor wages, discrimination, oppression, casualisation, and mistreatment, especially by expatriates. While foreign direct investment is vital, it must never come at the expense of the workforce’s integrity.
The NLC must champion improved working conditions, fiercely oppose casualisation, and demand fair compensation for injured workers and bereaved families. Strong, visionary leadership is needed to drive policies that truly reflect the realities and rights of Nigerian workers.
Nigerian workers deserve nothing less than safety, dignity, and respect. It is time for all stakeholders to act decisively and ensure that these fundamental rights are protected and upheld.
