The Minister of Labour and Employment, Maigari Dingyadi, says ongoing dialogue between the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), organised labour, the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and the ministry will strengthen implementation of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS).
Speaking at the Safe Workplace Intervention Project (SWIP) annual interactive forum and awards ceremony in Lagos, Dingyadi said the initiative has united key stakeholders around the goal of building safer, healthier and more productive workplaces.
He described the engagement as proof of government’s collective commitment to worker protection and business sustainability, noting that the Employees’ Compensation Act represents a major milestone in Nigeria’s labour administration by guaranteeing fair compensation for work-related injuries, disabilities, diseases and death.
“The Act places a premium on prevention by encouraging employers to prioritise workplace safety, risk management and occupational therapy,” he said.
Dingyadi added that SWIP’s mix of awareness, support and recognition of best practices was timely and strategic, helping to promote a culture where safety is seen not as a cost, but as an investment in productivity and national development.
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, said the Federal Government was intensifying enforcement of the Factory Rights Act and called for stronger partnerships with stakeholders such as NECA.
“We cannot speak of job creation while workers are exposed to preventable danger. No job is worth a human life,” she said, urging employers to comply fully with safety laws and invest continuously in workplace systems, while encouraging workers to exercise their rights responsibly.
NECA Director-General, Wale Smatt-Oyerinde, said SWIP was designed as a learning platform to help employers understand their legal obligations, appreciate the benefits of compliance and adopt proactive occupational safety practices.
He said the forum and awards were deliberate interventions to recognise organisations demonstrating excellence in workplace safety, while also creating space for dialogue on the challenges of implementing the Employees’ Compensation Act 2010.
“The nationwide SWIP series reflects our resolve to ensure employers are informed, engaged and supported. Safe workplaces are productive workplaces where workers are protected and assured of compensation,” he said, adding that more Nigerian enterprises were becoming resilient, competitive and sustainable.
