The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, has commended the Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Barrister Oluwaseun Faleye, for significantly transforming the agency within a year of his leadership.
Speaking on Monday during his keynote address at the NSITF Retreat for the National Assembly Joint Committees on Labour, Employment, and Productivity in Lagos, Dr. Dingyadi praised the new management for revitalizing the agency and driving key reforms.
“NSITF is a vital agency under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and since the current management team assumed office last year, we have witnessed a remarkable turnaround,” the Minister said.
He highlighted notable achievements, including the aggressive push for increased enrollment in the Employee Compensation Scheme (ECS), enhanced focus on occupational safety and health, and the prompt settlement of compensation claims.
Dingyadi also commended the Fund for organising the retreat, themed “Building a Sustainable Future: Strengthening Social Security and Enhancing Labour Productivity in Nigeria.” He described the initiative as timely and critical to ongoing efforts to reform the nation’s social security framework.
“Our social security system needs urgent reforms to expand its reach, improve benefits, and guarantee long-term sustainability,” he noted.
Faleye: Retreat Marks a Turning Point for Social Security Reform
In his welcome address, NSITF Managing Director Barrister Oluwaseun Faleye emphasized the significance of the retreat, describing it as a symbol of growing collaboration between the Fund and the National Assembly.
“This event reflects the openness and commitment of both the Fund and the legislature to jointly address critical issues affecting the welfare of Nigerian workers,” he said.
Faleye explained that the retreat—now in its second edition—aims to deepen participants’ understanding of Nigeria’s social welfare systems, with a specific focus on the Employee Compensation Scheme.
“Our country is at a crossroads where the pressing challenges of economic growth, youth unemployment, workplace safety, and social protection converge,” Faleye said. “As the bedrock of economic development, workers must be protected and prioritized.”
He urged stakeholders, including representatives from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the National Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), to view the retreat as a working session—an opportunity to rethink governance, policy, and operations through the lens of safety, justice, inclusion, and impact.
Faleye added that the two-day event would offer participants the chance to “interrogate existing policies, refine strategic direction, and recommit to building a system that is effective, transparent, and trusted.”
Strengthening Implementation and Legal Backing
While acknowledging the Fund’s progress in delivering on its mandate—particularly through the ECS—Faleye admitted that more work was needed to improve awareness and enforcement, especially at state and local government levels.
He concluded by calling for legislative support to help embed social safety nets more deeply into the national framework, ensuring a resilient economy and stronger protections for Nigeria’s workforce.
