The Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Barrister Oluwaseun Faleye, has expressed concern over the low level of compliance by state governments in enrolling their workers in the Employee Compensation Scheme (ECS).
According to a statement from the Fund, Faleye made the remarks on Tuesday during a visit to the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, at the NLC headquarters in Abuja. He emphasized that this non‑compliance exposes workers to vulnerability when critical protection measures, such as the ECS, are not in place.
Faleye clarified that the NSITF is not a revenue‑generating agency, but a body dedicated to the welfare and safety of workers. Its core mandate, he explained, is to compensate and rehabilitate workers in cases of work‑related injury, disease, or death, and to promote occupational safety and health.
He further stated that investments made by the Fund were primarily for sustainability, not for profit. Seeking the NLC’s collaboration, Faleye called for a partnership between both organizations to leverage the union’s widespread influence in boosting enrolment into the scheme. He reminded the labour leadership of its critical role as a stakeholder in the Fund, with direct representation on its Management Board, and appealed to their shared interest — the well‑being of Nigerian workers.
The NSITF boss undertook the visit as part of ongoing efforts to deepen enrolment into the Employee Compensation Scheme through stakeholder engagement, sensitization, and inter‑agency collaboration.
The Employee Compensation Act, which established the scheme, mandates both private and public sector employers to contribute one per cent of their workers’ salaries to the Fund. In turn, the NSITF is charged with providing compensation, rehabilitation, and indemnification for workers affected by workplace injuries, illnesses, or death.
In his response, NLC President Joe Ajaero expressed his support for the initiative, describing the scheme as a laudable initiative that significantly improves the lives of the working class. Ajaero promised to work closely with the NSITF to ensure compliance across the country and pledged organized labour’s support for the Fund’s awareness campaign aimed at boosting enrolment and safeguarding workers nationwide.
