Lagos abolishes multiple inspection of factories, workplaces
Rotimi Ogunleye
Lagos State has abolished the multiple inspection of companies and workplaces over issues of health, environment and safety.The Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Rotimi Ogunleye, said in Lagos yesterday that the ban on multiple inspection had been replaced with a harmonised inspection of factories and other workplaces in the state.
According to him, the new system entails having a joint inspection team of all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) rather than the previous system of having four MDAs going on separate factory and workplace inspections.
Ogunleye said: “As you are aware, Lagos is a mega city with a burgeoning population of over 21 million people and it is Nigeria’s financial, commercial and industrial hub with considerable number of manufacturing industries, more than 200 financial institutions and well over 8,000 recognised business concerns and commercial outlets.”
He said that the directive of the governor was not only a response to the yearning of the private sector, who claim of having to go through many inspections, which could be done once, but also in line with global best practices.
He, however, enjoined business concerns in the state to comply with all the existing laws and regulations of the state government and subject themselves to inspection, monitoring and supervision by the state’s regulatory agencies.
Ogunleye maintained that the new scheme will reduce cost, save time and strengthen self-compliance, monitoring as well as encourage efficient, effective and professional approach, aside from eradicating over-lapping functions of regulatory MDAs in the state.
“The harmonised inspection scheme will be carried out by trained state inspectors mainly drawn from the Ministry of Health (Occupational Health & Safety), Ministry of the Environment (Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency), Ministry of Special Duties (Lagos State Safety Commission) and Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, which serves as the secretariat for the scheme.
“The pilot inspection of the harmonised inspection scheme to test-run the checklist had been conducted in November last year in six mediums in large organisations in the state, and it was a huge success,” he said.
Ogunleye listed the members of the five-man committee to include, Dr. K. E. Layeni-Adeyemo, a very senior Director from the Lagos State Ministry of Health, serving as the chairman, Mr. F. O. Awosanya from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives as secretary.
Other members are Mrs. R. Odeneye, from the Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr. T. Adebodun from the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency and Mr. A. F. Kuforiji, also from the Ministry of Health.
