The Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE), Monday tasked its members to cultivate a culture of occupational safety and health, thereby reducing the number of work-related deaths and injuries.
The President of NIEEE, Mr. Felix Olu, stated this at a one-day webinar event to marked this year’s World Safety Day.
He noted that for the past 22 years, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), commemorates the World Day for Safety and Health at Work on the 28 April.
Olu added that the 2025 World Safety Day has been tuned to focus on the impacts of digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) on workers’ safety and health, with the theme, “Revolutionising Health and Safety: The Role of AI and Digitalisation at Work.”
Olu said: “Members will recall that we have a professional section, Embedded and Emerging Technologies, to handle such issues as artificial intelligence and others, ICTE and ECE, having direct relevance to digitalisation.
“However, this year, in view of the cross-cutting nature of AI, today’s commemoration is being organised by another relevant professional Section, Avionics and Space Engineering, harnessing a related focus environment as case study for the webinar.
“The ILO selected the 2025 theme with the objective of discussing and harnessing how artificial intelligence and digitalisation are transforming workplace safety and health, encompassing new technologies like advanced robotics, data analytics and exploring how these technologies impact occupational safety.”
Olu stressed that the take-home message therefore is to protect the rights of employees and workers, by cultivating a culture of occupational safety and health, to reduce the number of work-related deaths and injuries.
“It is also to encourage governments to ensure appropriate work environments, infrastructure, and just laws for employees and workers. I enjoin all present today to carry forward these messages in addition to technical knowledge that will be shared today,” he said.