Geospatial Technologies Usage in Mapping Occupational Health Risk Zones in UrbanIndustrial Regions in Nigeria

Abstract

In Nigeria, Occupational health risks in urban-industrial environments are often spatially distributed and influenced by a variety of environmental, infrastructural, and social factors. With the unprecedented rapid growth in urbanization and gradually increasing levels of industrialization in Nigeria, this problem has become more compounded. The cities of Lagos, Portharcourt, Kano, Ibadan and Abuja, have seen tremendous growth. So also have industrial complexes like the Dangote Refineries complex and BUA Cement emerged, while Oando Petroleum, has joined to reach unprecedented growth levels. Traditional tools for occupational safety management are increasingly inadequate in addressing the complexity of modern industrial ecosystems. This article explores how geospatial technologies, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), 
remote sensing, and spatial modeling, can be effectively employed to map occupational health risk zones in urban-industrial regions. The paper further investigates how such mapping contributes to promoting environmental justice and shaping data-informed workplace safety regulations. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives and empirical case studies from both developed and developing countries, the article highlights the transformative potential of spatial technologies in occupational risk governance, while also addressing the ethical and logistical challenges inherent in their deployment. There is thus, a dire need to shift away from sole emphasis on the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), with emphasis on multiple approaches, including engineering design, or redesign, as well as effective industrial policies and guidelines.