Uche Cecil Izuora
Egbin Power has solidified its commitment to safety excellence, as the GenCo was recently recognised as “Best in Safety Performance in Power Generation Company” in Africa at the 2024 AfriSafe Awards held in Livingstone, Zambia.
In the nomination category that had other top-performing power generation companies across Africa, Egbin Power clinched the award having implemented a series of safety initiatives to deepen its safety culture.
Some of the initiatives included 720 LACEUPS, Technical Safety Colloquium (TSC), What Have You Done for Egbin Station Today (WHYDFEST) Campaigns among others programmes executed by the company.
Founder and organiser of the AfriSafe Award, Femi Dasilva, noted that Egbin Power’s unwavering commitment to safety excellence made the GenCo outstanding. “The company’s consistent dedication to creating a safe and sustainable working environment has set a new benchmark for the power generation industry in Africa. This well-deserved recognition is a testament to Egbin Power’s relentless pursuit of excellence and commitment to high safety standards,” Dasilva remarked.
The 2024 AfriSafe Award was graced by dignitaries including ministers in the Zambian government, representatives of Nigeria’s House of Reps Committee on Safety Standards and Regulations. captains of industry and distinguished safety professionals from across over 24 African countries.
Speaking on the AfriSafe Award, the CEO of Egbin Power, Mokhtar Bounour, attributed the award to the commitment and teamwork of every member of staff of the company, saying: “This award is a testament to the unwavering dedication and tireless efforts of the board, management team and staff of Egbin Power. Our commitment to safety is not just a slogan; it’s a core value that permeates every aspect of our operations.
“This award further validates our focus on deepening the culture of safety, and we are immensely proud of our team for making it happen. By working together, we have set a new standard for safety excellence in the power generation industry. We will continue to strive for continuous improvement and remain steadfast in our pursuit of a zero-harm workplace,” Bounour expressed.
At a separate event held in furtherance of its commitment to safety excellence, Egbin Power held its annual QHSE Week, themed ‘Egbin DNA: Building a Culture of Safety and Sustainability in the Workplace.’
In celebrating the Week, employees participated in activities such as family safety moments which included, aerobics, practical training sessions anchored by Nigerian Red Cross officials who enlightened staff and their family members on first-aid and firefighting techniques. The Week also featured presentations by various departments on ways to promote a Safety Culture in the organisation.
The Week was also attended by a delegation from the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (ISPON) led by the National President, High Chief Dr. Stephen Awori Udezi, the chairman of the Lagos branch of the Institute Mr. Sola Ogunleye. Others in attendance were Governing Board members Dr. Monica Nwosu, Dr. Lucky Oderhohwo, the Registrar, Mr. Ben Modebe and other Lagos branch Excos.
The high point of 2024 QHSE Week was the Grand Finale where the company unveiled its new Firefighting Truck and also awarded outstanding departments and employees who continuously demonstrated high commitment to Improving Egbin Power’s robust safety management system, while upholding high safety standards in the course of duty.
Egbin Power’s annual QHSE Week is a week-long programme organised by the QHSE Department to promote safety culture and drive operational excellence across the plant.
The theme lecture was delivered by the Visioner of QHSE Leadership Academy, Jamiu Badmos, who expounded on the activities that depict a sustainable safety culture, calling attention to the concept of ‘safetainability’ and ‘safegagement’ as key concepts in the sustainable safety culture journey.
Commenting on the annual QHSE Week, Head of QHSE, Egbin Power, Julius Akpong, said the company has a deeply entrenched safety culture and effective management system that guide employees and the company’s operations.
“At Egbin Power, we have built a strong safety culture and instituted a structured approach to occupational safety management over the years. Workplace safety is a priority and part of our core values: Safety, Professionalism, Integrity & Discipline, Commitment to Stakeholders, Environmental Consciousness and Sustainability (SPICES).
ISPON honoured Egbin Power’s Chairman, Board of Directors and the CEO with Special Recognition awards for their high commitment to safety, evident with recent achievements such as the triple ISO certifications, bolstering safety in the company, a new firefighting truck among other huge investments.
Bounour was awarded a professional Fellow of ISPON, which will be conferred on him at the next induction ceremony of the Institute. At the same time, the Governor General of the World Safety Organisation (WSO), Dr. Wilson Arikpo invested Bounour as a Safety and Emergency Response Ready (SafERR) Ambassador, while recognition awards were also given to the CEO, the Board of Directors and the Head of QHSE for effective QHSE management, and for being emergency response ready.
ISPON used the occasion to commend the Board of Directors and the management team of Egbin Power for their leadership commitment to Safety and for running a green organisation.
