Experts urge Leaders to take responsibility for Lagos Safety Culture

Safety experts and stakeholders have urged leaders in both the public and private sectors to take personal responsibility for building a strong and enduring safety culture, warning that safety can only thrive when leadership leads by example.

The call was made at the maiden edition of the Lagos Safety Outlook 2026, themed “Leading from Within”, held in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday, where practitioners stressed the need for a fundamental shift in how safety is perceived and practised across Lagos State and Nigeria.

Speaking at the event, safety expert and consultant to the Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr Akinlara Babalola, who is also the Managing Director of Green Lantern Services, said effective safety leadership must begin within organisations and institutions.

According to him, safety should no longer be treated as an afterthought or solely the responsibility of regulators.

Babalola reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s commitment to sustaining what he described as a global gold standard in the protection of lives and property, noting that safety remains a critical pillar of the state’s competitiveness and global appeal.

He argued that achieving a safe and secure Lagos requires collective responsibility and proactive leadership at all levels.

“Safety does not begin with alarms or regulators alone; it starts with leadership,” he said, adding that every stakeholder must recognise safety as both a personal and shared obligation.

He cautioned that treating safety as “nobody’s business” weakens institutional resilience and puts lives and assets at risk.

In his closing remarks, Babalola explained that the Lagos Safety Outlook is intended to serve as an annual platform for policy dialogue, leadership engagement and strategic thinking, aimed at strengthening safety culture not only in Lagos State but across the country.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr Lanre Mojola, echoed the view that safety is fundamentally a leadership issue.

He said while regulations and alarms play important roles, safety works through culture, which must be driven from the top.

“If safety does not thrive under leadership, then we have a cause to worry,” Mojola said.

He urged leaders to constantly carry out reality checks within their organisations, warning that when leadership fails, safety inevitably fails with it.

The President of the Safety Professionals of Nigeria, Chief Dr Stephen Udenze, said professional leadership is defined by accountability rather than excuses.

According to him, leaders must take responsibility for outcomes, whether positive or negative, as long as the officers involved operate under their authority.

He noted that such an approach naturally builds a strong safety culture, driven by dedicated safety teams committed to discipline and best practices across institutions and workplaces.

On his part, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Olorundare Jimoh, stressed that safety and security are inseparable.

He explained that police officers are trained to protect lives and property through a combination of safety and security enforcement, and welcomed the growing collaboration between safety and security agencies.

Jimoh urged citizens and organisations to remain committed to enforcing safety standards, noting that collective vigilance is essential to safeguarding lives and assets.

The event also featured the presentation of Leadership Excellence Awards in Safety to the Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr Lanre Mojola, Mr Seun Awojobi, and other key stakeholders in the safety industry, in recognition of their contributions to advancing safety leadership and culture in Lagos State.