The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has announced plans to strengthen safety management across its offices nationwide, with a focus on preventing accidents and protecting corps members, staff and visitors.
The Director-General of the scheme, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, stated this at the first Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Schedule Officers Workshop in Abuja.
Represented by the Director of Human Resource Management, Nura Umar, Nafiu said workplace safety should be a routine part of the scheme’s administration rather than a response to incidents after they occur.
He urged NYSC offices to conduct regular inspections, assess potential risks and ensure that safety equipment is properly maintained. He also called for fire drills, accessible first-aid provisions and effective emergency response procedures.
The workshop, themed “Preventing Workplace Hazards and Creating a Safe Environment in All NYSC Formations,” brought together officials to examine ways of improving safety practices across the scheme’s offices.
Nafiu charged participants to apply the knowledge gained during the training by identifying hazards, raising safety awareness and developing action plans for their respective offices.
The Director of the General Services Department, Yetunde Baderinwa, described the workshop as a step towards a coordinated approach to safety and environmental management across NYSC formations.
She said protecting staff, corps members, visitors, service providers and other stakeholders required shared responsibility and consistent implementation of safety measures.
Participants included Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Schedule Officers from NYSC state secretariats in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
