By Matilda Ikediobi

Lagos State Safety Commission has urged safety practitioners, regulators and the private sector to improve safety culture and emergency response across the state, saying Lagos, as a rapidly expanding megacity, faces growing risks from urbanisation and industrialisation.

The commission made this call at a one-day Stakeholders’ Forum on Safety and Emergency Response themed: ‘Strengthening Safety Culture and Emergency Preparedness Among Safety Practitioners in Lagos’, held at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry Conference Centre, LCCI, Ikeja.

Director-General of the commission, Lanre Mojola, represented by the Director of Administration and Human Resources, Dr Adetola Akindele, said safety remains a shared responsibility and must underpin all human, industrial and environmental activities in the state.

Mojola said: “As a strategic platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and building partnerships between government, the private sector, and community actors.

“The true success of our efforts depends on how effectively we cultivate a sustainable safety culture built on awareness, accountability, and continuous improvement,” Mojola said. “Together, we can ensure that safety standards are not only enforced but embraced as a way of life.”

He highlighted the commission’s reforms in safety audits, risk management advocacy, and proactive emergency response, reaffirming the government’s commitment to a safer and more resilient Lagos.

Meanwhile, international leadership expert, Olanrewaju Akinnuoye, in a paper: ‘Emerging Trends in Leadership and Collaboration,’ stressed the importance of credible data in safety management, urging practitioners to integrate accurate information, leadership, and collaboration in decision-making.

Akinnuoye said: “Without credible data, we cannot make informed decisions. We must also strengthen safety culture and emergency preparedness as integral components of leadership and collaboration.”

However, Diseye Oba, on behalf of Dangote Industries Limited, commended the Safety commission’s leadership, describing safety as “a shared value and cornerstone of sustainable development. Across the Dangote Group, safety is embedded in our DNA, it is not just what we do; it is who we are.”