Lagos State Government has stepped up efforts to improve safety in high-rise buildings, urging facility managers, developers and safety professionals to integrate safety considerations into building design, operations and maintenance to reduce workplace accidents and structural risks.
The call came during a stakeholders’ forum organised by the Lagos State Safety Commission, where industry regulators and professionals examined strategies to improve safety standards in the state’s rapidly expanding built environment.
The forum, themed “Safe Building, Protected Workforce,” brought together facility managers, occupational safety experts and professional bodies to strengthen collaboration on building safety and regulatory compliance.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Lanre Mojola, said the increasing complexity of modern buildings made it imperative to incorporate facility management and safety planning from the design stage rather than treating safety as an afterthought.
Drawing on his experience in facility management, Mojola warned that many newly constructed buildings deteriorate rapidly due to poor maintenance and weak operational systems.
“Every failure, fire outbreak or avoidable workplace incident we witness across our mega cities is a stark reminder that safety cannot be treated as an afterthought or a quick tick-box exercise.
“It is the core operational framework that protects lives, preserves asset value and maintains public trust,” he said.
He described buildings as “dynamic living ecosystems” that require continuous monitoring through routine maintenance, electrical and mechanical inspections, fire safety assessments and regular checks of elevators and other critical infrastructure.
Mojola also advocated mandatory safety training and certification for facility managers, saying global best practice recognises a direct relationship between facility management, workplace safety and security.
He stressed the need to protect workers engaged in high-risk activities, including painters, cleaners, technicians and contractors working on rooftops and scaffolding.
“When we speak of a protected workforce, we are looking at how to ensure that the crews on the roof, the painters on the scaffold, the cleaners and third-party contractors executing high-risk tasks are safe… and guarded from injuries, accidents and fatalities,” he said.
Technical Adviser to the Lagos State Safety Commission, Seun Awojobi, said the engagement was aimed at developing practical and implementable solutions to strengthen construction safety, facility management and occupational health across Lagos.
According to him, the state’s rapid urbanisation, characterised by increasing high-rise developments and industrial expansion, makes stricter safety compliance essential.
“As Lagos continues to expand as Africa’s leading economic and commercial hub with rising skylines, industries, high-rise buildings and a growing workforce, it is important to leverage the economic opportunities while upholding the highest standards of safety, quality and regulatory compliance,” Awojobi said.
He said the commission would continue to promote a proactive safety culture through inspections, stakeholder engagement, public enlightenment, capacity building and enforcement of safety regulations.
In his presentation, safety consultant Lekan Akinwumi underscored the importance of collaboration between facility managers and safety professionals, saying workplace safety depends on coordinated efforts among all parties responsible for managing buildings.
Goodwill messages from the President of the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria, Stephen Udenzi; President of the Association of Facility Management Practitioners of Nigeria, Olumide Aina; and the Vice-President of the International Facility Management Association, Hakeem Olaonipekun, also emphasised collaboration, ethical practice and strict regulatory compliance as critical to improving safety standards in Nigeria’s built environment.
Participants at the forum also examined emergency preparedness, disaster prevention strategies and measures for strengthening safety management systems in high-rise buildings across Lagos.
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