Launching the checklist as part of the activities marking the 2016 World Day for Safety and Health at the Workplace, the minister emphasised the desire of President Muhammadu Buhari to reposition the country for its overall growth and development. According to the minister, efforts towards ensuring safe, healthy and decent work environment and the curbing of unnecessary wastage in the economy remain the priority of the present government. He maintained that loss of human life is the ultimate cost of work-related accidents and diseases even as they leave in their trail losses of huge dimension which adversely affect the nation’s economy due to loss in GDP. Senator Ngige said further that “in economic terms, the ILO (International Labour Organisation) has estimated that 4 per cent of the world’s annual revenue is lost as a consequence of occupational diseases and accidents. “In line with the change mantra of the Federal Government of Nigeria, efforts towards ensuring safe, healthy and decent work as well as the curbing of unnecessary wastage in the economy remain a priority of the present government. “This is with a view to putting all hands on deck towards eradicating social exclusion, poverty and achieving equitable, inclusive and sustainable development that translates to a positive change in people’s lives. “Today, many workers are facing greater pressure in relation to the conditions and demands of modern working life. “Beyond psychosocial risk factor, the workplace is becoming more stressful and work-related stress is now generally acknowledged as a global issue affecting countries, all professions and all workers both in developed and developing countries. “With the focus of attention on this year’s commemoration, government calls on active participation and collaboration of all stakeholders on the development and implementation of stress prevention programmes. “Employers should assess the workplace for the risk of stress for its effective management and control. “The national policy in occupational safety and health stipulated the duty of every employer to ensure the safety, health and welfare of all workers. “This duty extends to protecting workers from the risky offhand from stress at work. This will go a long way towards improving workers’ wellbeing, job satisfaction, personal development and increased productivity. “President Buhari has expressed his desire to reposition Nigeria in the comity of nations for respectability, value creation, efficient resource protection and management, economic growth and development. “The federal government is not unwary of the fact that change agenda can only be driven and achieved with human capital that is fit, safe and healthy to face the challenge of industrialization, modernization and globalization.” Country Director of the International Labour Organisation, Dennis Zulu, said the ILO constitution sets forth the principle that all working men and women should be protected from sickness, disease and injury including stress arising from their employment. He said further that the ILO focuses on protecting workers’ health and promoting their well being through improvement in their working conditions and working environment.]]>