FG identifies reasons for losses in nation’s GDP

NIGERIA: THE Federal Government has identified the factors responsible for the loss in the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.

The loss which is not only happening in Nigeria, according to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, often results in adverse economic effects on the country.

Ngige stated this in his keynote address at the one-day symposium on the 2016 World Day for Safety and Health at Work organised by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in collaboration with the National Industrial Safety Council of Nigeria (NISCN) in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
He said: “Loss of human life is the ultimate cost of work-related accidents and diseases, even as they leave in their

trail loss of huge dimension that adversely affect the nation’s economy due to loss of GDP.

“In economic terms, the ILO has estimated that 4 per cent of the world’s annual GDP is lost as a consequence of occupational diseases and accidents.”

Despite this, the Minister assured that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, would protect workers against work place stress.

Ngige, who was represented by the NISCN Ogun State Controller of Labour and Employment, Mr. Clement Fatoki, also charged employers of labour to protect their workers against workplace stress.

According to him, in line with the change mantra of the present administration, the government at the centre placed premium on the safety of employees in their various workplaces.

He stressed that government’s efforts in this regard were aimed at bringing about positive change in the lives of all Nigerians.
His words: “In line with the Change Mantra of the Federal Government of Nigeria, efforts toward ensuring safe, healthy and decent work as well as the curbing of unnecessary wastages in the economy remain a priority of the present government. “This is with a view of 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.”

Ngige, a former Governor of Anambra State, charged employers to ensure effective management and control of workplace stress amongst their workers.

He also called for active participation and collaboration of all stakeholders in the development and implementation of stress prevention programmes.
Ngige said: “The National Policy on Occupational Safety and Health stipulates the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare of all workers.

“This duty extends to protecting workers from the risk of harm from stressors at work. This will go a long way towards improving workers’ well-being, job satisfaction, personal development and increased productivity.”
A guest lecturer, Elizabeth Akerewusi, while presenting a paper on the theme, “Workplace Stress: A Collective Challenge,” stated that the management of workplace stress should be a collective responsibility of all stakeholders.

According to Akerewusi, the government, the employers and the employees should be involved in this regard.
The lecturer, who retired as the Chief Occupational Health Nursing Officer from Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity said: “In as much as stress is an inevitable part of normal life, all hands must be on deck to eliminate or reduce injurious stress at work-place to the barest minimum.”

“These will enhance workers’ morale, better actualization, increased productivity and profitability,” she stressed, just as a Safety Engineer, Kareem Abbas, in his presentation, urged employers of labour to take practical steps to ease stress among their workers at workplaces.