..Lauded for exceptional contributions to the practice

By Chinedu Adonu

The Nigerian Institute of Safety Engineers (NISafetyE) has conferred a prestigious Fellowship on Engineer Felix Agusiobo in recognition of his exceptional contributions to safety engineering practice and leadership in occupational safety management.

Agusiobo received the Fellowship (FNISafetyE) on February 21, 2026, a distinction reserved for professionals who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to advancing safety engineering and occupational risk management.

During the induction into the fellowship, Agusiobo was commended for his contribution in expanding safety engineering practice across the globe

“In today’s rapidly expanding construction and infrastructure landscape, the demand for professionals who can integrate safety engineering with sustainable development has never been greater.

“Across the globe, infrastructure projects are becoming more complex, requiring strong safety leadership and environmental stewardship to ensure that development does not come at the expense of worker safety or environmental sustainability.

“One professional contributing to this evolving field is Safety Engineer Felix Agusiobo, whose career spans international construction projects, environmental safety management, and research on sustainable building systems”.

They declared that Agusiobo’s work in construction safety engineering has placed him at the center of several large-scale infrastructure developments across the Middle East and Africa.

It was also disclosed that Agusiobo contributed to safety oversight on complex construction projects in Doha, Qatar as a Project Consultant Safety Engineer with global engineering consultancy Dar Al-Handasah.

“These projects involved diverse engineering operations including high-rise and low-rise building construction, electrical substation development, airport infrastructure facilities, healthcare facility construction, and aircraft simulation centers.

“Some of these developments formed part of the broader infrastructure expansion undertaken in preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Managing safety in such environments requires rigorous hazard identification processes, coordination among multiple contractors, and strict adherence to international occupational safety standards.

“During his tenure on these projects, Agusiobo achieved an impressive combined safety record of over 20 million man-hours without a Lost Time Incident (LTI) a milestone that reflects strong safety systems and disciplined risk management practices.

They continued, Agusiobo’s expertise has also extended to safety leadership roles within Africa, in 2023, when he served as Senior Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Engineer with Shelter Group Africa in Kigali Rwanda.

“In this role, he was responsible for establishing and operationalizing the organization’s Health, Safety, and Environment Department, aligning the company’s operations in Rwanda with both regional and corporate safety strategies.

“His responsibilities included developing safety policies, implementing integrated management systems, overseeing environmental and compliance programmes, and fostering a strong safety culture within construction teams.

“Establishing a functional HSE system within emerging construction markets requires both technical expertise and leadership capable of integrating international safety standards with local operational realities”.

Beyond field operations, Agusiobo has also contributed to academic and professional research aimed at improving sustainability within the built environment.

“He co-authored a research study titled “Building a Sustainable Future: An Analysis of Sustainability Maturity in the Construction, Infrastructure, Material, and Equipment Sector.”

“The research explores how organizations in the construction, infrastructure, material, and equipment sectors assess and improve their sustainability practices while maintaining operational efficiency and environmental responsibility.

“Agusiobo also co-authored another research work titled “A Systematic Approach to Green Construction: Integrating ISO 14001 with LEED BD+C to Enhance Building Sustainability.” The study examines how environmental management systems can be effectively integrated with green building certification frameworks to improve sustainability outcomes in construction projects.

“The research has been accepted for presentation at the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE) scheduled for July 2026 in Cambridge, United Kingdom — an international forum that brings together scholars and industry professionals working to advance sustainable infrastructure development”.

Recall that the conferment of Fellowship by the Nigerian Institute of Safety Engineers recognizes professionals who have made notable contributions to the advancement of safety engineering practice and occupational risk management.

For Agusiobo, the honour reflects years of experience implementing safety management systems across diverse construction environments while also contributing to research aimed at improving sustainability within the built environment.

“The Future of Safety Engineering
As infrastructure development accelerates across emerging economies, the role of safety engineers will remain critical in ensuring that construction progress does not compromise worker safety or environmental responsibility.

“Professionals who combine practical safety leadership with research-driven sustainability strategies will play a key role in shaping the next generation of resilient and environmentally responsible infrastructure”.