The Ergonomics Society of Nigeria (ESN) has been in existence for almost 16 years and is a representative organisation for HFE practitioners in Nigeria. ESN is not only a federated IEA society, but it is also a member of the Ergo-Africa network.
ESN fact sheet
- Established: 14th September, 2006
- Approximate number of members: 50
President: Dr. Echezona Nelson Dominic Ekechukwu, Senior Lecturer, University of Nigeria (nelson.ekechukwu@unn.edu.ng)
Secretary: Dr. Victor Egwuonwu (va.egwuonwu@unizik.edu.ng).
Overview of ESN activities
The Ergonomics Society of Nigeria currently conducts congresses annually both nationally and in the geopolitical zones of the country. Some of the exciting upcoming developments that ESN is working on include the following:
- The inauguration of its maiden HFE academic peer review journal
- The society is looking forward to hosting its website successfully by the second quarter of next year and welcomes any assistance both from the International Ergonomics Association and other affiliate bodies to achieve this.
- Collaborating with relevant stakeholders to assist with establishing HFE societies in the West Africa region in countries such as in Ghana, Benin Republic and Togo
Status of Human Factors/ Ergonomics (HFE) in Nigeria
The discipline of HFE is not yet well-known or applied across Nigeria. From a legislative perspective, the requirement to manage HFE risks is embedded within existing health and safety requirements. In order to improve HFE awareness and implementation across Nigeria, ESN plays a central role in the promotion of ergonomics practice in the country. Since its inauguration, ESN has been successful in improving awareness of HFE and facilitated the interests of HFE practitioners especially in the oil and gas sectors, which are the main drivers of the Nigerian economy. These HFE awareness efforts have been well-received and demonstrate the pressing need to facilitate the active implementation of HFE across all industries, while also mobilising local experience to develop HFE research and risk management capacity. In line with this, ESN is working on plans to introduce Ergonomics Training Programs in Nigerian Universities. Additionally, ESN will be collaborating closely with the Ergonomics Society of South Africa, at the continental level, and IEA at the global level to increase its membership and to contribute towards increasing the number of local HFE practitioners.
ESN Membership
ESN membership is open to Nigerian and international academics, practitioners and members of the general public who are interested in HFE matters. For membership-related enquiries, please contact ESN through its President Dr. Echezona Nelson Ekechukwu (nelson.ekechukwu@unn.edu.ng) or the ESN Secretary, Dr. Victor Egwuonwu (va.egwuonwu@unizik.edu.ng).
