Safety professionals from far and wide came together in Port Harcourt for the annual conference of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) Nigeria chapter, deliberating on sustainable systems in safety practices in the country.
The conference which held from the 23rd to the 25th of April 2026 at the prestigious Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with the theme “Driving Safety Beyond Compliance: To Inspire Commitment and Promote Sustainability”. The conference was aimed at shifting the paradigm of safety practices beyond mere compliance to safety requirements, focusing on safety as a commitment that drives operational excellence.
In his welcome address, President of the Nigerian chapter of the ASSP, Engineer Charles Felix Osuji stated that the theme of the program aligns perfectly with the aspirations of ASSP to build a resilient community of safety professionals across the Nigerian industrial space and beyond, who will be the driving force that ensures that safety practices in the industry transcends beyond mere compliance obligation to a desirous commitment level.
“This is one of the key factors that elevates organisational excellence, promoting sustainability and driving profitability at the same time. I am pleased to note that the Rivers State government, through its commitment to promoting safety excellence, has expressed interest in partnering with ASSP Nigeria chapter to drive safety initiatives in the state. This collaboration will enhance safety standards, promote best practices, and contribute to the states economic development.”
Giving a brief summary of the history of the ASSP he revealed that the organization was founded in the USA in 1911 with the Nigerian chapter established in June 2007, adding that the vision of ASSP is to promote safety excellence in Nigeria, growing to become a leading voice in operational safety and health, that shapes the industry and empowers professionals.
Presenting a paper on the topic “ Building to last: How Safety and Sustainability Drive Organizational Success” the General Manager, Commercial & Planning at Anoh Gas Processing Company, Christian Ihiwiwhu discussed extensively on Environment and social governance, and creating a balance between the environment, the society and governance to ensure sustainability.
“ The planet earth where we live in, where we co-exist in , where we have our companies, where we carry out our manufacturing, and production, we want to do no harm to the planet, we want to make sure that we will leave the planet a better place or if not a better place than we met it, at least just the way we met it. When it comes to the environment, economics, social and governance factor we will see that cutting across our various industries, our purpose as a company falls under these factors, and these factors are the pillars on which our sustainability values depend on. “
The first day of conference also featured panel sessions on Driving OSH in Nigeria Beyond Compliance: Inspiring Commitment and Promoting Sustainability, with break out sessions on various topics such as
Safetainability in Action: Integrating HSE 360° for Business Values, Shifting the Safety Mindset: Moving Beyond Compliance to Shared Responsibility and Commitment, Implementation and Operationalization of Medical Emergency Response Procedure and other topics.
The second day of the conference featured conversations on Artificial Intelligence and the OSH Profession: From Compliance to
Sustainability, Exploring The Role of Leadership in Promoting a Safety Culture That Goes Beyond, Corporate Social Responsibility & Safety: Driving Commitment
Beyond Compliance for Sustainable Organizational Performance, Achieving Business Success through Driving HSE beyond and other topics.
The third day of the conference focused on internal discussions, technical sessions and a general meeting of ASSP members.
The highlight of the conference was the launching of the book titled “The History of the ASSP Nigeria Chapter”, the birthday felicitation of the founder of ASSP Nigeria, Ambassador Felix E.K Nakpofdia, and an exhibition by safety companies and dealers of safety equipment.
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