Ebenezer Essien
When Governor Umo Eno opened a four-day training programme for newly recruited Safety Officers and Lawyers in the Akwa Ibom State Civil Service on April 7, 2026, he called for a stronger safety culture across the state.
The training, held at the Ibom LED Centre in Uyo, was part of the state’s broader effort to strengthen occupational safety in public institutions. But beyond the training and awareness campaigns is a bigger question: Can Akwa Ibom turn safety from a government message into an everyday culture?
The state’s safety initiative did not begin on April 7, 2026. In April 2025, the State Executive Council approved the establishment of a Department of Occupational Safety within the public service. The government later directed preparations for the induction of the newly recruited Safety Officers and Lawyers and called for safety audits across Ministries, Departments and Agencies. The latest training is therefore another step in a process that has been developing for more than a year.
For the initiative to succeed, however, safety must go beyond government offices. It must become part of how organisations, businesses and individuals approach their daily activities. This is where the role of communication becomes important.
People are more likely to embrace safety practices when they understand the risks involved and see those practices consistently applied around them. Awareness campaigns, workplace education and regular communication can therefore play an important role in turning safety policies into actual behaviour.
Governor Eno has directed commissioners and other senior government officials to lead safety advocacy within their respective MDAs while the Senior Special Assistant on Health, Safety and Environment, Jayne Ufot, was directed to intensify awareness campaigns.
The newly recruited Safety Officers will also have an important role to play. Their impact will depend not only on their training but on how effectively safety standards are monitored, hazards are identified and corrective actions are taken.
The real test of the state’s safety initiative will therefore not be another speech or awareness campaign. It will be what happens when a safety officer identifies a hazard, when an institution is required to correct an unsafe practice, and when safety becomes part of everyday decision making.
Akwa Ibom has started the structure for a stronger safety system. The next challenge is to make that structure work and ensure that safety becomes a daily practice rather than a message reserved for special occasions.
