The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has entered into a strategic partnership with the Taraba State Government to strengthen compliance with the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS) and expand social protection for workers in the state.
The collaboration, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), is aimed at reinforcing the implementation of the scheme as a safeguard for employees while ensuring operational stability for employers.
Engagement Beyond Ceremony
Speaking during a courtesy visit to Governor Agbu Kefas in Jalingo, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NSITF, Oluwaseun Faleye, described the engagement as part of a deliberate strategy to build structured alliances with state governments committed to workers’ welfare and institutional sustainability.
Faleye emphasised that the Employees’ Compensation Scheme is more than a statutory requirement, describing it as a critical social protection mechanism that guarantees dignity for workers and stability for employers.
“When a worker is injured, disabled, or loses his life in the course of duty, the response of government defines public trust and reinforces confidence in leadership,” he said.
Drive for Measurable Outcomes
The NSITF chief noted that expanding ECS coverage aligns with the Taraba State Government’s welfare-focused agenda and commended Governor Kefas for his commitment to workers’ wellbeing.
He proposed practical measures to deepen compliance across state ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), intensify sensitisation of major employers and contractors operating in Taraba, and strengthen workplace safety and compensation awareness across the state.
To ensure accountability and coordination, Faleye recommended the designation of a focal ministry or official to oversee engagement with the fund. He also suggested the immediate establishment of a joint technical interface between the state government and NSITF to develop a short-term implementation roadmap.
According to him, the fund has already created an internal Strategic Inter-Agency Coordination framework to monitor timelines and deliverables arising from such partnerships.
Faleye highlighted the broader benefits of enhanced ECS compliance, noting that it would protect workers, reduce employers’ exposure to litigation, promote industrial harmony and reinforce structured social protection systems within the state.
