Evaluating Occupational Health and Safety Compliance and Enforcement Mechanisms in Nigeria's Manufacturing Sector

Abstract

Nigeria has a rather robust regulatory framework for occupational health and safety in the manufacturing sector that includes national laws, international agreements, and policy guidelines. However, the main causes of the continued low level of compliance include the large informal sectors, ignorance, budgetary constraints, and inadequate enforcement measures. The study comes to the conclusion that while key regulatory bodies like the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the National Industrial Safety Council of Nigeria (NISCN), and the Occupational Safety and Health Department (OSHD) play crucial roles in enforcing OHS regulations, they face systemic problems like corruption, inadequate inspection capacity, and outdated legal frameworks. The findings highlight the vital need for strengthening regulatory agencies, increasing public awareness, providing incentives for compliance, and enacting more severe legal penalties in order to bridge the gap between OHS legislation and actual implementation.