By Lukman Olabiyi
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced a significant milestone in public safety with the formal launch of the Safety First Campaign and the creation of an Occupational Safety Cadre, the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Speaking at the 3rd Lagos State Occupational Safety and Health Conference (LASOSH) held on Tuesday in Lagos, the governor said the initiative marks a strategic shift from treating safety as an ad-hoc duty to establishing it as a structured and professional career path within the public service.
“This groundbreaking cadre is not just a bureaucratic innovation; it is a bold declaration that Lagos is setting new standards in public service professionalism. For the first time, safety will not be treated as a temporary responsibility but as a recognised career path, complete with structure, expertise, and continuity,” Sanwo-Olu said in his keynote address.
As part of the new safety measures, the state government also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bank of Industry (BOI) to further drive safety-focused investments and initiatives across the state.
Sanwo-Olu highlighted the state’s investment in technology-driven safety solutions including a mobile safety application for real-time hazard reporting, drones for aerial surveillance of high-risk zones, and body cameras with thermal sensors for compliance monitoring and emergency response.
“These tools are deliberate investments in predictive governance. They allow us to identify safety issues as they emerge, study trends and patterns, and act proactively rather than reactively,” he said.
He stressed that ensuring safety across Lagos requires collective responsibility, calling on stakeholders in the public and private sectors, civil society, academia, and the general public to embrace a culture of compliance and accountability.
Sanwo-Olu also charged newly inducted safety officers to carry out their duties responsibly.
Director General, Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC), Lanre Mojola said, “We realise that enforcement action is reducing as compliance is increasing. As we continue to go to more places to inspect more places, largely our enforcement is returned. But we still ensure that Vertical Transportation Equipment are fully enforced to the letter as Lagos continues to move on.”
Continuing, Mojola added, “We’re doing a lot of work in terms of regulations. Some of the regulations have been around swimming pool control, construction safety, dangerous goods, transportation. Lagos has the port. So we find out that a lot of people move things, dangerous goods, oil, gas, from Lagos to the hinterland.”
“One of the things that we’ve also done is the establishment of the Occupational Safety Officers. It’s the first in Africa. Just like the E1 was first over the weekend.”
“Today, we’re introducing 28 new Occupational Safety Officers for Lagos State Government. We intend to continue to employ more as time passes on.”
He reiterated that over 20,000 facilities already registered have GPIS with pictorial evidence.
Mojola, who stated that the commission is leveraging AI, added that, “How do we ensure that we can predict issues before they crystallise?”
Earlier, the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Mr Olugbenga Oyerinde pointed out that occupational and general public safety remains a top priority to the state government, noting “Every Lagosian deserves to live, work, and move freely without any fear.”
“This conference has become a platform to host leaders of thought, safety practitioners, policy makers, and industry players who come together to exchange ideas, review progress, and to chart pathways for safer workplaces and safer communities.”
