The Lagos State Safety Commission has ordered a comprehensive safety audit of dredging sites across the state following reports of incidents involving workers and members of the public during dredging and sand-mining activities.
The commission disclosed this during a mandatory safety training for dredging and sand-haulage operators held in Ibeju-Lekki, where it warned that failure to control risks at sites could endanger workers, members of the public, equipment and the environment.
The Director-General of the commission, Lanre Mojola, represented by the Head of Safety Audit II, Festus Todowede, said the audit had identified the need for stronger safety awareness among operators.
He said the commission “regularly receives incident reports from workers and members of the public concerning dredging and sand mining activities across the state.”
Mojola said the training was one of the recommendations arising from the safety audit and was intended to reduce incidents associated with dredging and sand haulage.
He described dredging as a high-risk operation involving heavy equipment and challenging working environments, warning that poor safety practices could expose workers and members of the public to hazards.
The commission consequently made the safety training mandatory for dredging operators in Lagos and urged them to comply with prescribed safety standards.
Mojola said stakeholders should adopt stronger precautionary measures “to prevent incidents with the ultimate goal of ensuring workers return home safely at the end of each workday.”
Consultant on Dredging Operations, Adejuyigbe Oluwaseyi, told operators that safety should be incorporated into their daily operations rather than treated as a requirement only when inspectors visited.
He advised companies, supervisors and workers to identify hazards, assess risks and establish appropriate controls before beginning operations.
Adejuyigbe also stressed the need for proper worker training and regular use of personal protective equipment, while urging operators to stop any operation considered unsafe until the risks had been addressed.
He called for incidents, near misses and unsafe conditions to be reported and investigated to prevent their recurrence.
“No production target, financial consideration or operational deadline should take priority over human life,” Adejuyigbe said.
The training, themed “Navigating Safety in Dredging: Building Lagos on Solid Ground,” was held at the Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Town Hall and brought together dredging and sand-haulage operators.
The commission said compliance with safety regulations remained necessary to protect workers and the public and reduce incidents associated with the sector.
Lagos takes health campaign to rural communities
The Lagos State Government has begun a community-based health and sanitation campaign aimed at changing residents’ everyday hygiene practices and preventing the spread of diseases at the grassroots.
The programme, launched in Oriade Local Council Development Area on Wednesday, is expected to extend across the five divisions of the state.
The initiative, organised by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, aims to bring health and sanitation education directly to communities through local government structures and community development associations.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Kikelomo Bolarinwa, said the campaign was designed to make basic health and sanitation practices part of residents’ daily routines.
She said a clean and healthy environment was central to the wellbeing and productivity of communities, urging community leaders, youths and residents to participate actively in the campaign.
Bolarinwa said the programme would “strengthen public awareness, encourage responsible sanitation practices, promote behavioural change and deepen community ownership of collective environmental health responsibilities.”
The emphasis on behavioural change is central to the campaign, with the government seeking to move health and hygiene advocacy beyond formal health facilities into neighbourhoods where residents make everyday decisions about sanitation and personal healthcare.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Local Government and Rural Development, Babatunde Durojaiye, said the campaign was prompted by the state government’s focus on healthcare, hygiene and living conditions under its development agenda.
He urged participants to pay attention to the health and hygiene information provided by the facilitators and apply it within their communities.
The Chairman of Oriade LCDA, Rasaq Olojede, said the council would continue working with the state government to promote hygienic practices at the local level.
The Chairman of the Community Development Committee in Oriade, Victor Okunola, also pledged the cooperation of community development associations in extending the campaign across the LCDA.
The programme featured health and environmental hygiene presentations by a Ministry of Environment and Water Resources professional, Obisesan Felicia, and the Director of Health Education and Promotion Services in the Ministry of Health, Oguntona Elizabeth.
The government said the campaign would use community participation to strengthen awareness of preventive healthcare and sanitation practices.
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