Exploring AI, job security, workplace wellness in Nigeria’s Industrial revolution
…Why humans must take precedence over machines
Bimbola Oyesola
As technology reshapes industries, Nigerian workers and employers face a critical balancing act, embracing AI and innovation while safeguarding mental health, safety, and economic resilience.
Call it a world of work at a defining crossroads, that cannot be far from the truth as the global world of work undergo a profound transformation driven by rapid technological advancement, economic uncertainty, and shifting employment patterns. Automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are redefining how tasks are performed, how decisions are made, and how productivity is measured.
In Nigeria’s chemical and non-metallic products sector, these changes are particularly significant. The sector’s capital intensity, technical complexity, and global competitiveness demand efficiency and innovation, yet these same forces introduce uncertainty for workers whose roles and skills are increasingly threatened.
Issues such as mental health, job security, workplace safety, and self-sustainability are now central to the conversation on industrial relations. Organisations are being called to rethink productivity not merely as output, but as the ability to support human welfare in tandem with growth.
These pressing concerns was the focus of the 30th Annual National / Industrial Relations Seminar of the Chemical and Non Metallic Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (CANMPSSAN) which brought together labour leaders, HR professionals, corporate executives, and legal experts to examine the impact of AI on industrial relations, highlighting both opportunities and challenges recently in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Opening the seminar, Segun Samson David, National President of CANMPSSAN, stressed that technological progress must be guided by human values. He warned that prioritising output at the expense of human welfare risks eroding trust, morale, and long-term productivity.
“Technology should never replace human dignity or the right to safe, secure employment,” he stated. “Progress is not measured by machines alone but by the well-being, resilience, and growth of people who drive organisations forward.”
By setting this tone, the seminar framed technology, ethics, and human welfare as inseparable components of sustainable industrial relations, underlining the responsibility of employers, unions, and government to act decisively.
Artificial Intelligence, Productivity and Ethical Responsibility
The Organisation and Human Resource Director at Lafarge Africa Plc, Mr. Gbemiga Owolabi, examined AI as a central pillar of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, capable of learning, recognising patterns, and supporting complex decision-making.
In Nigeria’s chemical and non-metallic sector, AI is already deployed in predictive maintenance, process optimisation, safety monitoring, and workforce planning, reducing downtime and errors while enhancing efficiency.
Owolabi warned, however, that technology alone cannot guarantee sustainable progress. “Without governance, ethical oversight, and human-centred planning, AI can exacerbate inequality, induce workforce anxiety, and create moral dilemmas that organisations are ill-prepared to manage,” he said.
He stressed that AI should complement, not replace, human intelligence. Reskilling programs, transparent communication, and ethical policies are essential to ensure workers remain engaged, empowered, and adaptable in a technology-driven environment.
According to him, organisations must invest in their workforce with the same vigour as they invest in machines, emphasising that leadership, culture, and human welfare ultimately determine the success of technological adoption.
“By pairing AI with ethical and human-centred practices, companies can achieve operational efficiency while maintaining workforce motivation, creativity, and long-term resilience,” he said
Owolabi’s lecture underscored a vital lesson, AI is a powerful tool, but its impact depends on how organisations balance technological innovation with human dignity and inclusion.
The Human Cost: Stress, Mental Health and Redundancy
The Executive Secretary of Chemical and Non- Metallic Products Employers Federation (CANMPEF), Mr. Femi Oke, shifted focus to the human cost of modern work environments, highlighting stress and declining mental health as critical determinants of productivity.
He described the modern workplace as one of relentless pressure, where high expectations, tight deadlines, and job insecurity contribute to chronic stress, burnout, and emotional fatigue, which often remain invisible but compromise efficiency and organisational harmony.
“Mental health is no longer a peripheral concern,” Oke argued. “Absenteeism, presenteeism, errors, and high turnover often originate in unaddressed workplace stress, affecting not only the individual but organisational performance as a whole.”
Barrister Femi Adekunle, General Manager, Human Asset Management, Dangote Cement, in the same vein addressed redundancy as a frequent outcome of technological adoption and restructuring.
Adekunle explained that redundancy, while necessary for operational efficiency, carries significant legal, ethical, and human consequences, affecting employees’ financial stability, emotional well-being, and career trajectories.
He emphasised that redundancy differs from dismissal for misconduct arguing that It must be handled fairly, transparently, and in compliance with Nigerian labour laws, including consultation with unions, application of objective selection criteria, notice periods, and negotiated severance packages.
“Mishandling redundancy exposes organisations to legal disputes, reputational damage, and lowered morale among remaining employees, potentially undermining productivity and stability,” he stated.
Beyond legal obligations, Adekunle stressed the moral imperative for employers to provide counselling, retraining, and outplacement services, enabling displaced workers to transition with dignity.
Employees, he added, “can navigate redundancy by cultivating adaptability, lifelong learning, and proactive engagement with opportunities to enhance employability and resilience.”
Redundancy, he concluded, should be viewed not merely as the end of a career chapter but as an opportunity for personal growth, reinvention, and skill development.
Job Security, Health and Safety: An Inseparable Relationship
Workplace safety and job security are deeply intertwined, a theme explored by Mr. Emmanuel Eze, Human Resource Manager at Emenite Ltd. He explained that employees who feel insecure are less likely to report unsafe conditions or refuse hazardous tasks, leading to preventable accidents and systemic weaknesses in HSE compliance.
“Building a robust safety culture requires visible leadership commitment, enforceable policies, ongoing training, and worker empowerment,” he said. “Job security strengthens trust, participation, and adherence to safety protocols, creating safer, more resilient workplaces.”
He reasoned that incremental improvements, updating labour laws, providing formal contracts, periodic audits, and incentivising safe behaviour could prove more effective than abrupt policy overhauls, fostering long-term safety culture and organisational stability.
“Integrating HSE into corporate strategy, rather than treating it as an afterthought, demonstrates organisational commitment to employee welfare, which, in turn, reinforces loyalty, productivity, and retention,” he added
Eze warned that neglecting job security or safety erodes trust, increases turnover, and can trigger disputes, thereby undermining both human and technological investments in organisations.
He emphasised that HSE is not a compliance exercise alone; but a strategic tool for building sustainable organisational culture, improving morale, and safeguarding human and economic capital.
“A strong HSE culture also nurtures resilience in the workforce, enabling employees to adapt effectively to technological, economic, and operational challenges,” he stressed.
Employment, Self-Sustainability and the Future of Work
Dotun Adako, Group HR Director at BUA Group, in his lecture highlighted the growing importance of self-sustainability in a global economy characterised by volatility, technology-driven disruption, and shifting employment models.
Adako noted that self-sustainability complements formal employment by enabling individuals to develop multiple income streams, acquire transferable skills, and remain financially and professionally resilient amid uncertainty.
He emphasised that the boundaries between employment, entrepreneurship, and digital enterprise are increasingly blurred, creating new opportunities for proactive, adaptable workers.
“Digital literacy, creativity, problem-solving, and financial discipline are now essential competencies that empower workers to thrive without abandoning the security of salaried roles,” he said.
Adako highlighted case studies of employees building online businesses alongside full-time work and organisations encouraging intrapreneurship, showing how innovation can coexist with stability.
“Balancing employment and self-sustainability strengthens individual resilience while contributing to broader economic stability, enabling workers to participate meaningfully in society even amid global disruption,” he added
He argued that lifelong learning, adaptability, and proactivity will define the future workforce, equipping individuals to navigate technological, economic, and social change successfully.
Across the seminar, a clear consensus emerged; productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness depend on human-centred policies that prioritise mental health, safety, job security, and skill development alongside technological innovation.
Undoubtedly, the future of industrial relations in Nigeria hinges not on machines or automation alone, but on the capacity of organisations to place human welfare at the centre, ensuring that innovation drives shared prosperity rather than deepening poverty and social inequality.
