The Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Oluwaseun Faleye, has urged state governments to enrol more workers into the Employee Compensation Scheme (ECS).
Mr Faleye, who made the call during a visit to the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) at the Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, lamented the low level of compliance by state governments.
He noted that the non-compliance “speaks to the vulnerability of the workers if some of the key protection mechanisms that are provided for them are not being utilised for one reason or the other.”
“The Employee Compensation Act, which establishes the Scheme, mandates employers of labour in both the public and private sectors to contribute 1% of workers’ salaries to the Fund.”
“The NSITF is mandated to indemnify, compensate, and rehabilitate workers affected by workplace injuries, diseases, and deaths,” he explained.
The Managing Director debunked the misconception that the Fund is a revenue-generating agency, stating that its purpose is to ensure workers’ welfare and safety through compensation and rehabilitation in the event of work-related injury, illness, or death, as well as to promote workplace safety and health.
He clarified that investments undertaken by the Fund are primarily for sustainability, not for profit.
Mr Faleye sought a partnership between the NLC and the NSITF with the aim of leveraging the apex labour union’s reach and influence to enhance enrolment into the Scheme.
He reminded the labour leadership of its role “as a critical stakeholder in the Fund with its representation on the Fund’s Management Board.”
The NSITF boss, therefore appealed to the shared interests of both organisations, emphasising that “workers’ welfare is the overriding priority.”
In his response, the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, pledged to work with the NSITF to ensure improved compliance with the ECS.
He described the Scheme as “a lofty initiative aimed at improving the working class,” and expressed his enthusiasm about the NSITF being fully in charge of social security in the country.
Ajaero also pledged organised labour’s support for the Fund’s awareness campaign aimed at boosting ECS compliance nationwide.
The visit was part of the NSITF Managing Director’s continued efforts to expand enrolment in the ECS through stakeholder engagement, sensitisation, and inter-agency collaboration.