The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting The Gambia’s Industrial Injuries Compensation Fund (IICF) through technical cooperation, knowledge sharing and institutional collaboration aimed at strengthening workers’ compensation systems across West Africa.
The commitment was made by the Managing Director of NSITF, Barrister Oluwaseun Faleye, at the closing ceremony of a one-week study tour undertaken by the Board of the Industrial Injuries Compensation Fund, a unit of The Gambia’s Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC), to the Nigerian agency.
Represented by the Executive Director (Administration), Barrister Samaila Abdu, Faleye said the partnership between the two institutions would extend beyond the study visit, describing it as a long-term collaboration focused on improving social protection and the welfare of workers in the sub-region.
According to him, NSITF will continue to provide technical guidance, exchange expertise and share operational experiences with the Gambian institution to support the development of effective industrial injury compensation systems.
He noted that the visit reflected the growing cooperation among social security institutions in West Africa and commended the Gambian delegation for choosing NSITF as a model for institutional learning.
Faleye said discussions during the study tour covered the evolution of Nigeria’s social security framework, including the transition from the National Provident Fund to the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund and the implementation of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme established under the Employees’ Compensation Act of 2010.
The engagement also examined institutional governance, policy development, employer registration procedures, compliance monitoring, contribution assessment and the deployment of technology to improve transparency, accountability and service delivery.
He expressed confidence that sustained collaboration between both organisations would contribute to stronger social security systems and enhance protection for workers in their respective countries.
Members of the Gambian delegation welcomed the opportunity to study Nigeria’s experience in administering workers’ compensation and social insurance programmes, noting that the knowledge gained would support ongoing reforms in their country.
The delegation also said it was interested in learning from NSITF’s research and operational practices while offering to share its own experiences in areas where it has developed expertise.
As part of efforts to deepen bilateral cooperation, the Gambian officials invited an NSITF delegation to undertake a reciprocal visit to The Gambia to further strengthen institutional ties and facilitate continued exchange of best practices in social security administration.
