By Nkechi Eze
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has stepped up efforts to establish safer and healthier workplaces across its formations through improved occupational health, safety and environmental management practices.
The Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, disclosed this at the maiden edition of the Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Schedule Officers Workshop held in Abuja.
According to an official statement signed by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, the Director-General, represented by the Director of Human Resource Management, Mr Nura Umar, reaffirmed the scheme’s commitment to protecting staff, corps members, visitors and government property through strict adherence to relevant safety standards.
Nafiu said the NYSC would continue to identify occupational hazards, assess workplace risks, prevent injuries and illnesses, protect the environment and promote compliance with established safety regulations.
He noted that the workshop, themed “Preventing Workplace Hazards and Creating a Safe Environment in All NYSC Formations,” highlighted the importance of occupational health, workplace safety and environmental sustainability to effective administration and service delivery.
The Director-General urged NYSC formations to prioritise regular workplace inspections, risk assessments, proper maintenance of safety equipment, fire drills, first-aid preparedness and effective emergency response procedures.
“We must therefore move beyond reacting to incidents and embrace a proactive safety culture,” he said.
He charged participants to apply the knowledge gained at the workshop to identify hazards, assess risks and promote continuous safety awareness in their respective formations.
Nafiu also urged the officers to develop clear action plans and demonstrate renewed commitment to creating safer and healthier working environments across the scheme.
Earlier, the Director of General Services Department, Mrs Yetunde Baderinwa, described the workshop as a significant step towards establishing a coordinated and sustainable approach to occupational health, safety and environmental management throughout NYSC formations.
She stressed that the safety of NYSC officials, visitors, service providers and other stakeholders remained a collective responsibility requiring the active participation of everyone.
Participants at the workshop included Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Schedule Officers from the 36 NYSC state secretariats and the Federal Capital Territory.
