NEWS
Abia Deepens Commitment to Workplace Safety, Partners ISPON to Drive Industrial Growth and Public Protection
The Abia State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening workplace, environmental, and public safety through a strategic partnership with the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (ISPON), as the state accelerates its industrialisation and economic transformation agenda.
Governor Dr. Alex Otti gave the assurance while receiving the leadership of the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria, led by its National President, Chief Dr. Stephen Udezi, during a courtesy visit to the Government House, Umuahia.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu, Governor Otti warmly welcomed the Institute’s offer to provide professional safety services, technical advisory support, and free safety audits for government facilities, describing the initiative as timely and highly beneficial in light of Abia’s expanding industrial and infrastructure landscape.
The Governor reiterated that his administration remains committed to collaborating with professional bodies whose expertise would contribute meaningfully to sustainable development, effective governance, and the protection of lives and property.
““I must say that everything good now finds its way to Abia State,“ he said while commending ISPON for its willingness to partner with the state by offering professional safety support and conducting free safety audits of government facilities.
Governor Otti further disclosed that the government would carefully consider the Institute’s requests, including support for its forthcoming Professional Development Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM), scheduled to hold in Umuahia from October 14 to 16, 2026.
According to him, attracting professional conferences to Abia has become a deliberate economic strategy of the administration, as such gatherings create business opportunities and stimulate commercial activities across various sectors.
“The money spent in sponsoring such a programme is far less than what participants will inject into the state’s economy. Whichever way you look at it, Abia gains because our people benefit economically,“ he stated.
The Governor also highlighted the state’s ongoing industrial revolution through the Abia Industrial and Innovation Park (AIIP), stressing that the government would ensure strict compliance with safety standards across industries operating within the state.
He called for collaboration with ISPON in training personnel involved in the government’s ongoing market retrofitting programme to reduce the incidence of fire outbreaks and improve safety in public facilities and commercial centres. He added that the proposed Abia State Safety Commission would work closely with the Institute in driving safety policies and enforcement.
Earlier in his remarks, the National President of the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria, Chief Dr. Stephen Udezi, said the visit was aimed at strengthening collaboration between the Institute and the Abia State Government in promoting occupational, environmental, and public safety.
He commended Governor Alex Otti’s visionary leadership and ongoing reforms, describing Abia as one of Nigeria’s fastest-developing states.
Udezi explained that the Institute was prepared to support the state through technical advisory services, specialised safety training for government personnel and contractors, capacity building programmes, and professional guidance on strategic projects, including the Abia Industrial and Innovation Park.
He also appealed to the state government to establish an Abia State Safety Commission that would coordinate safety policies, enforce regulatory compliance, and institutionalise best safety practices across both the public and private sectors.
According to him, the decision to host the Institute’s 2026 Professional Development Conference and Annual General Meeting in Abia was informed by the remarkable transformation currently taking place under Governor Otti’s administration.
The ISPON President disclosed that the conference is expected to attract more than 1,000 delegates from Nigeria and other countries, a development he said would significantly boost tourism, hospitality, transportation, and commercial activities across the state.
He further pledged that the Institute would carry out a comprehensive safety audit of the Government House free of charge and assist in training government officials to become certified safety professionals.
Udezi also reminded organisations that under the ISPON Act 2014, only duly registered members of the Institute are recognised as professional safety practitioners in Nigeria, warning that individuals and organisations employing unqualified safety personnel risk fines and imprisonment under the law.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (ISPON), Abia State Branch, Engr. Henry Uzoma, described the visit as a strategic milestone in integrating safety into Abia’s development and industrialisation agenda.
He emphasised that the establishment of a State Safety Commission had become imperative as Abia continues to attract local and foreign investments, noting that a coordinated safety framework would boost investor confidence and ensure compliance with internationally accepted safety standards.
Uzoma announced that the October conference would attract safety professionals from across Nigeria, Africa, and other parts of the world, further positioning Abia as a destination for professional engagements while providing a significant boost to the state’s economy and promoting safety consciousness.
He concluded by commending Governor Alex Otti for what he described as exceptional leadership, saying the administration’s developmental achievements have set a benchmark for good governance in the South-East and inspired neighbouring state
s to raise their standards of performance.