NSITF Boss Tasks Agencies on Stronger Collaboration to Protect Workers

Oluwaseun Faleye
MD/CEO NSITF 

..... Calls for improved coordination among relevant agencies to minimise duplication of efforts, encourage knowledge sharing and develop more coherent responses to challenges affecting workers and employers.

By Emmanuel Oyoyo-Onotevure

The Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Oluwaseun Faleye, has called for stronger collaboration among government agencies to improve workers’ welfare, enhance productivity and strengthen social security in the country.

Faleye said effective inter-agency cooperation was critical to addressing the challenges confronting Nigerian workers and employers, stressing that no single institution could independently tackle all aspects of workers’ welfare, employment protection and workplace safety.

He made the call on Thursday in Abuja in a goodwill message at the Technical Retreat on Presidential Priority, Ministerial Deliverables and Performance Management System (PMS), organised by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Dayo Aloa
Technical Assistant to the NSITF Managing Director 

The NSITF chief, who was represented by his Technical Assistant, Dayo Aloa, commended the ministry for providing a platform for dialogue, coordination and the exchange of ideas among agencies with shared responsibilities.

He said the effectiveness of public service delivery depended not only on the performance of individual institutions but also on their ability to work together towards common goals.

According to him, the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the NSITF share the responsibility of delivering public value, strengthening institutions and improving the welfare and security of Nigerians.

Speaking on the Fund’s mandate, Faleye explained that the NSITF administers the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS), established under the Employees’ Compensation Act 2010, to provide compensation and support for workers and their dependants in cases of work-related injuries, occupational diseases, disabilities and death.

He said the scheme was designed to ensure that workers and their families were not abandoned when workplace incidents disrupted their livelihoods and future.

“At the heart of this mandate is a simple but important principle: no worker or family should be left without support when a qualifying workplace incident disrupts their livelihood and future,” he said.

Faleye emphasised that workers’ welfare was closely linked to national productivity, industrial harmony and sustainable economic development, noting that employees who felt protected were better positioned to contribute meaningfully to their organisations.

He added that the NSITF’s responsibilities extended beyond processing claims and paying compensation to include sustained engagement with employers and workers, public awareness campaigns, enforcement of statutory obligations and the promotion of workplace health and safety.

He urged stakeholders to ensure that the Employees’ Compensation Scheme remained accessible, responsive, transparent and effective in delivering protection to eligible workers.

The NSITF boss further called for improved coordination among relevant agencies to minimise duplication of efforts, encourage knowledge sharing and develop more coherent responses to challenges affecting workers and employers.

He described the retreat as an opportunity for participating institutions to strengthen existing relationships, identify practical areas of cooperation and align their programmes with shared priorities.

Looking ahead to 2027, Faleye reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to improving the implementation of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme, strengthening service delivery, promoting employers’ compliance with statutory requirements and advancing workplace safety.

He urged public institutions to measure their performance by the tangible improvements they delivered to Nigerians rather than merely the activities undertaken or targets achieved.

“As we deliberate on our institutional responsibilities and targets, we should remain mindful that the ultimate measure of our success is not merely the activities we undertake, but the tangible improvements our work delivers to the people we serve,” he said.

Faleye thanked the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and other participating agencies for their contributions to public service delivery, expressing hope that the deliberations would produce practical outcomes capable of building a more productive and secure Nigeria.