Experts Advocate Effective Leadership To Build Resilient Safety Culture In Nigeria

Safety practitioners have stressed the need to repurpose safety culture in Lagos State and across the country, adding that effective leadership must begin within organisations and institutions to build a resilient safety culture.

The call was made by a safety expert and managing director of Green Lantern Services, Mr Akinlara Babalola, at the maiden edition of the Lagos Safety Outlook 2026, themed “Leading from Within”, held at the Providence Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

Babalola, a consultant to the Lagos State Safety Commission (LSC), reaffirmed the Lagos State government’s renewed commitment to maintaining a global gold standard in protecting lives and property across the state, describing safety as a critical pillar of Lagos’ competitiveness and global appeal.

According to him, achieving a safe and secure Lagos requires collective responsibility and proactive leadership at all levels, noting that safety should not be treated as “nobody’s business.”

“Safety does not begin with alarms or regulators alone; it starts with leadership,” he said, adding that every stakeholder must see safety as a personal and shared responsibility.

In his concluding remarks, the convener explained that the Lagos Safety Outlook is designed to serve as an annual platform for policy dialogue, leadership engagement and strategic thinking aimed at strengthening safety culture in Lagos State and across Nigeria.

The Director General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr Lanre Mojola, also said safety doesn’t start with alarms and regulators, but with leadership and culture; hence, if safety doesn’t thrive under leadership, we have cause to worry.

He advised that leadership needs to do a reality check, but concluded that if leadership fails, safety fails.

In his own contribution, the President of the Safety Professionals of Nigeria, Chief Dr Stephen Udenze, said that professional leadership doesn’t live with excuses but takes responsibility for whatever happens, be it good or bad, so long as the officer or officers who caused it are under your authority.

He said with that, safety culture is already being built, and before you know it, everywhere is built by a dedicated safety team who are ready to instil discipline in the entire

Also speaking at the event, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Olorundare Jimoh, emphasised that safety and security are inseparable, noting that police officers are trained to protect lives and property through both safety and security enforcement.

The Commissioner expressed satisfaction with the growing collaboration between safety and security agencies, urging citizens and organisations to remain committed to enforcing safety standards and safeguarding lives and assets.

Highlights of the event included the presentation of Leadership Excellence Awards in Safety to the Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr Lanre Mojola, Mr Seun Awojobi, and other key stakeholders in the safety industry.