House of Representatives is to partner relevant stakeholders towards developing a framework that will lead to the establishment of National Safety Regulatory Board in the country.
The Speaker, Dr Abbas Tajuddeen made the statement while declaring open a one day public hearing on the Bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of National Safety Regulatory Board and for related matters.
Represented by the house Minority leader Mr Kingsley Chinda, the Speaker explained that the proposed legislation was aimed at developing effective law capable of regulating and upholding safety standards in various public spaces including schools, transportation, food processing, construction sectors and commercial facilities.
Dr Abbas Tajuddeen, who emphasized the importance of the Bill to economic development of the nation, urged stakeholders both from the public and private sectors to support the move for the successful passage of the Bill in the interest of National development.
In his address, the Chairman House committee on Safety Standards and Regulation Dr Sulaiman Abubakar Gumi, explained that establishment of the Board is a crucial step forward in harmonizing and coordinating the efforts of all sectoral safety regulatory agencies in Nigeria.
Dr Sulaiman Gumi, maintained that the unified framework when implemented would ensure Nigeria aligns with international best practices, fostering collaboration, reducing duplication, and enforcing the effectiveness of safety measures among the citizens.
The National Safety Regulatory Board when established will streamline operations, eliminate redundancies, and resolve conflicts across sectoral safety regulatory agencies as well as enhance risk assessment, research, and capacity building to tackle emerging safety challenges.
The committee Chairman however, confirmed that the board would also play a pivotal role in raising public awareness and education on safety matters, empowering every Nigerian to contribute to a safety-conscious culture.
The hearing which was attended by stakeholders from the Ministry of labour and productivity, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Services, the Nigerian Army, the Standard Organisation of Nigeria among others described the proposed Bill as timely and important.
COV / TSIBIRI
