Case Studies

We spoke to Nji to find out more about his studies, career, and vision to return to and improve the health and safety of his home country in the future. He already runs a Twitter account to help raise awareness there.

What made you decide to pursue a career in health and safety?

I gained interest in occupational health and safety when I moved from Cameroon to the United Arab Emirates UAE for work. I followed the advice of Sister Emmanuella (a mom figure to me) and Ann who met me in 2018, they told me I have a lot to benefit being a health and safety practitioner. I could easily understand what they recommended because I come from a technical background. From that moment, I started saving up some money to take the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. When I started reading my course materials, I saw heart wrenching statistics of incidents, the benefits and contributions of practicing health and safety. I instantly became passionate about this new discovery, and I decided to live safety, preach safety, practice safety and become a vibrant member of health and safety groups.

How did you begin your career?

My career began with training from Al Khwarizmi College in Al Ain, with an amazing tutor Mr. Shefeek who gave me the necessary guides to comprehend the goals of a health and safety practitioner. Upon completing my NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety I applied for Health and Safety Officer jobs. Two weeks after writing my exams, I received a call from Mr. Sisira who was the manager of Polaris Ocean Ports and Marine Construction. They needed a Safety Officer for a project with Abu Dhabi Ports to construct a marine facility at Al Fiyay Island, Abu Dhabi. That was the genesis of my health and safety career.

What do you enjoy the most about being a health and safety professional?

As a safety professional, I enjoy influencing people and companies to adopt safety practices and policies that will prevent mishaps. I enjoy seeing a system I contributed or built, work effectively. Knowing that employees return with feedback of using my recommendations/suggestions, invigorates my soul.

You were the recipient of a Michael Adamson NEBOSH Diploma Scholarship and gained a NEBOSH Diploma. How have you benefitted from what you learned during your studies?

I have benefited from an endless list of resources, profound knowledge, and amazing course mates residing in different countries who have shared intriguing guidelines and health and safety trends in their respective regions. The NEBOSH Diploma has provided me with in-depth knowledge of numerous topics in health and safety. All thanks to the sponsors of the Michael Adamson NEBOSH scholarship; a million thanks will be insufficient to show gratitude for this gift.

What impact has your Diploma learning had on your workplace?

Learning topics from the NEBOSH Diploma added more light to the work procedures I knew less about. I have worked in civil construction, marine construction, oil and gas, marine maintenance offshore, on ships and rigs. There is very little that I haven't seen or done in occupational health and safety. Overall, the diploma studies were the icing on the cake I needed to gain and implement extensive safety knowledge in my workplace.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of applying for the scholarship?

My advice to anyone who wants to apply for the Michael Adamson NEBOSH Diploma scholarship is to “go for it, give it a shot, be real, and believe.”

What are your aspirations for the future?

I aspire to work with NEBOSH in the future and obtain a Master’s degree in occupational safety or risk management/disaster management. I aspire to preach safety in my workplace and support aspiring safety practitioners. I also want to invest time to educate people on social media through the safety association my team and I are currently building on twitter (@237Safety #237Safety). Hopefully, I will get enough resources to visit schools and workshops in Cameroon, Africa and Pakistan. I aspire to work and contribute to any establishment who calls me up for work, seminars etc.