By Mercy Aikoye
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and other Stakeholders drawn from both public and private sectors across the country on Tuesday expressed overwhelming support for a bill which seeks to establish a Safety Regulatory Board in the country.
In his keynote address during the public hearing on the bill seeking to establish a National Safety Regulatory Board and for other related matters’, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas explained that the proposed legislation was aimed at developing effective law capable of regulating and upholding safety standards in various areas, including public spaces, schools, transportation and construction sectors, food processing and commercial facilities.
He said: “Today’s public hearing is significant and a demonstration of our legislative obligation to create and strengthen public institutions whose responsibility it is to guarantee the safety of our people in public and private facilities. While I welcome the stakeholders present at this gathering, it is important to remind you that your robust involvement and contributions are greatly desired to ensure the success of this event.
While stressing that importance of security and safety of lives and property cannot be overemphasized, Hon. Abbas reiterated the 10th Assembly’s commitment to the “security and safety of our citizens, the reason we created this committee.
“While inaugurating the Committee on February 8, 2024, I urged the members to pursue legislative processes and actions to reinforce the safety of our citizens. This Bill before us today is in line with that directive.”
On his part, Chairman, House Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations, Hon. Sulaiman Abubakar Gumi described the hearing as “a significant milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards enhancing safety standards and regulations.
“The establishment of the National Safety Regulatory Board represents a crucial step forward in harmonizing and coordinating our efforts across all sectoral safety regulatory agencies. This unified framework will ensure that Nigeria aligns with international best practices, fostering collaboration, reducing duplication, and enhancing and enforcing the effectiveness of our safety measures.
Our goal with this board is clear: to streamline operations, eliminate redundancies, and resolve conflicts across sectoral safety regulatory bodies.
“By consolidating efforts under one unified framework, we will enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and coherence in safety regulation nationwide.
Looking ahead, the National Safety Regulatory Board promises to transform safety regulations in Nigeria by promoting effective communication and collaboration among agencies.
