Weeks after the 65th Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual Conference in Enugu, the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) continues to draw attention for its presentation on the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA) 2010, which highlighted gaps in legal practitioners’ awareness of workplace safety laws.
At the conference, NSITF Managing Director, Barrister Oluwaseun Faleye, delivered a lead paper titled “Enhancing Workplace Safety and Social Protection: The Role of Employees’ Compensation Act 2010” during a breakout session. The paper underscored the need for greater compliance with the Act and stronger advocacy from lawyers.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to NSITF headquarters in Abuja, Chairman of the NBA Gwagwalada Branch, Owhor Clever, described the presentation as “an eye opener,” noting that many lawyers were unfamiliar with the Fund’s functions and the scope of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS).
“The NSITF outing at our 65th annual conference in Enugu was an eye opener for many lawyers in Nigeria,” Clever said. He, however, lamented that many workers had been left destitute after workplace injuries due to poor awareness and enforcement of the law.
Responding, Faleye, represented by NSITF’s Executive Director of Administration, Barrister Samaila Abdu, urged lawyers to leverage their influence by advising clients to comply with the ECA. “We have a duty to ourselves and to our clients,” he stressed, adding that lawyers must help drive uptake of the scheme.
The NSITF also announced plans to embark on sensitisation tours to NBA branches nationwide to deepen awareness and strengthen partnerships. According to Faleye, the Fund will collaborate with the NBA Gwagwalada branch on training and outreach initiatives to expand access to workplace injury compensation.
“The Employees’ Compensation Act 2010 emerged as a legal reform and moral commitment to protect workers who suffer injuries on the job,” he said.
