The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund has called for changes to Nigeria’s workplace and social security laws to ensure that informal-sector workers and those earning a living through digital platforms are adequately protected.
The Managing Director of the NSITF, Oluwaseun Faleye, made the call at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Faleye, who was represented by the Fund’s General Manager, Abuja Region, Bridget Ashang, spoke on the conference theme, “Beyond Limits: Expanding the Legal Frontiers of Workplace Protection and Social Security in Nigeria.”
He urged members of the legal profession to play a stronger role in closing gaps in the country’s social protection system, particularly as the nature of employment continues to change.
According to him, social security should be regarded as a matter of social justice rather than charity, as it provides workers with protection against risks including sickness, workplace injuries, unemployment, old age, maternity and loss of a family breadwinner.
Faleye said the Employees’ Compensation Scheme, administered by the NSITF under the Employees’ Compensation Act 2010, was designed to provide employment injury benefits to workers in the public and private sectors, with the exception of Armed Forces personnel.
He explained that the scheme is funded entirely by employers and that workers are not permitted to have contributions deducted from their wages.
Beyond compensating injured workers, Faleye said the scheme helps reduce employers’ liabilities, supports workers’ recovery, protects income and productivity, and encourages safer working environments.
He, however, noted that Nigeria’s social security laws do not yet adequately reflect the realities of the modern labour market.
While the International Labour Organisation’s Social Security Convention No. 102 identifies nine areas of social security, including healthcare, unemployment, old age, employment injury, maternity and survivors’ benefits, Faleye said Nigeria’s legal framework remains largely oriented towards conventional formal employment.
He called on the NBA to help drive reforms that would broaden the legal meaning of terms such as “employee,” “employer” and “workplace” to accommodate workers operating outside traditional employment arrangements.
The NSITF chief proposed several areas of collaboration with the legal profession, including public education, advocacy, legal advisory services, corporate compliance audits and strategic litigation aimed at testing existing legal boundaries.
He also urged lawyers to examine the responsibilities of digital platforms towards workers who depend on them for their livelihoods, while supporting the ratification and domestication of relevant international labour standards.
Faleye further encouraged the NBA and law firms to lead by example by conducting internal compliance reviews and ensuring adherence to applicable workplace protection and social security regulations.
He said legal reforms should be designed to ensure that protection is extended to all categories of workers rather than being restricted to those in conventional formal employment.
Faleye also called for closer collaboration between the NSITF and the NBA, arguing that stronger social security protection would reinforce the dignity of workers and contribute to a more resilient labour market.
