A Critical Appraisal of the Legal Framework for the Promotion of Workplace Safety in Nigeria

Over 2.8 million workers die annually from workplace injuries and diseases, while an additional 160 million suffer from non-fatal work-related injuries and diseases. Many countries have enacted occupational safety and health (OSH) legislation, in line with the requirements of the International Labour Organization. Using a comparative legal research methodology, this paper examines the legal framework on workplace safety in Nigeria. It argues that the legal framework is fragmented and contains obsolete regulations that fail to cover all categories of workers. Therefore, it recommends reform to merge the various occupational safety and health laws currently in force in Nigeria. Furthermore, it recommends sensitivity to changes in the workplace arising from advances in technology and work formats. The study contributes to the theoretical discourse on OSH by developing a contextualized framework for analysing OSH frameworks in developing economies such as Nigeria.