GOVERNOR UMO ENO’S ADMINISTRATION STRENGTHENS SAFETY CULTURE IN OIL AND GAS SECTOR

In a bold move to entrench safety and environmental compliance across Akwa Ibom’s burgeoning petroleum and gas sector, the State Government has kicked off a statewide free sensitisation and certification seminar targeting industry operators.
Held on July 1, 2025, at the Federal Secretariat in Uyo, the seminar was spearheaded by Mrs. Jayne Ufot, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Health, Safety, and Environment, who reaffirmed Governor Umo Eno’s commitment to ensuring that industrial growth is balanced with public safety and sustainability.
“The petroleum and gas sector is critical to Nigeria’s economy. Its operations must be anchored on discipline, precaution, and foresight to prevent accidents with potentially grave consequences,” Mrs. Ufot said in her address.
She disclosed that under the current administration, significant structural reforms have been instituted to strengthen the state’s safety regime. These include the creation of a dedicated SSA Office on Health, Safety, and Environment, the recruitment of over 100 safety officers, and the establishment of an Occupational Health and Safety Department within the State Infrastructural and Asset Management Agency.
She urged stakeholders to see safety not as an obligation but as a shared societal value. “Proactive safety saves lives, protects investment, and boosts public trust. We must all own this responsibility,” she stressed.
The seminar is expected to foster better operational standards across the sector and prepare operators for the rigours of compliance with both local and international safety protocols.