Ekiti Prioritises Worksite Safety …holds one-day workshop on injury prevention and emergency response for Works Ministry Staff

The Ekiti State Government has intensified efforts to improve workplace safety across its civil service, underscoring the link between worker welfare, capacity development and effective public service delivery.

The State Head of Service, Dr Folakemi Olomojibi, stated this during a one-day workshop on worksite safety, injury prevention and emergency management, jointly organised by the State Ministry of Works and Educate Medicine, a non-governmental organisation, in Ado-Ekiti.

Olomojibi said the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji had placed high priority on protecting workers and equipping them with the skills needed to perform efficiently.

She noted that government investments in training programmes, infrastructure and safety-focused policies reflected a deliberate strategy to create a secure and enabling work environment, adding that workers’ well-being remained central to the administration’s broader development agenda.

“The present administration has continued to prioritise safety and capacity building, ensuring that workers are well-equipped to deliver efficiently in a secure environment,” she said.

In his goodwill message, the Commissioner for Works, Mr Sola Adebayo, described the workshop as essential for strengthening the competence of engineers and other professionals involved in infrastructure development.

He stressed that beyond technical expertise, public works professionals must adhere to the highest safety standards at every stage of project execution.

“As professionals entrusted with building and developing the state, your role extends beyond technical delivery to ensuring safety at all stages,” Adebayo said, noting that training in safety protocols and emergency response would help protect workers, colleagues and host communities.

Other officials, including the Permanent Secretary in the Office of Capacity Development and Training, Barr. Bamidele Arowosola, and an official of the Ministry of Works, Engr. Olukayode Ibijola, commended the initiative, describing safety awareness and strict adherence to standards as critical to preventing workplace injuries.

Ibijola, whose ministry hosted the event, emphasised that improving safety required collective responsibility and urged participants to remain vigilant and committed to best practices.

The co-organisers of the workshop, Prof. Olutunde Asaolu and Engr. Olubusiyi Asaolu, both directors of Educate Medicine in the United Kingdom and the United States, were praised for organising the training in memory of their late father, Chief Anthony Adebowale Asaolu, the Oba Rawaa of Igbole Ekiti.

The workshop attracted more than 150 participants, including engineers, builders, surveyors and drivers from various ministries, departments and agencies.

During practical sessions, resource persons demonstrated safety procedures and guided participants through emergency response techniques aimed at reducing workplace hazards and improving productivity.

The co-organisers later presented first aid kits to the ministry.