Stakeholders Call for Passage of Occupational Health Bill

by Brittany Tofinchio Palmer and Marina Stinely

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Stakeholders in Nigeria’s health and judiciary sectors have requested that the National Assembly pass the Occupational Safety Health Bill into law. It is estimated that, in Nigeria, over 25,000 people die from work-related injuries each year. This bill would help prevent occupational hazards in the country.
 
At the Second Annual Scientific Conference, which was themed “Occupational Injuries,” stakeholders organized by the National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos (“NOHIL”), expressed their concern for the safety and health of Nigerian workers. The stakeholders came to the consensus that the passage of the Occupational Safety Health Bill, in line with International Labour Organization standards, and the enforcement of existing occupational health laws, would improve the health of the Nigerian workforce and would ensure that victims are adequately compensated for their injuries.
 
Speakers at the Conference stressed the importance of improving the productivity of the Nigerian workforce through decreasing occupational injuries. Such improvements would have a positive impact on the economy and thousands of workers and their families in Nigeria.