The Organised Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio to urgently intervene and stop what it described as an attempt by the Senate Committee on Labour and Employment to fill the management board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) with political appointees through a proposed amendment to the NSITF Act.
In a statement issued on Monday, the OPSN warned that the planned legislative amendment threatens to politicise and undermine the Fund, which serves as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s social protection system.
“The NSITF must not be weakened or turned into a political institution,” the group said. “Its governance must remain grounded in tripartism, transparency, and accountability, in line with ILO Conventions and global best practices.”
The OPSN — comprising the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Nigeria Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), Nigeria Association of Small-Scale Industrialists (NASSI), and 25 other employers’ federations — expressed deep concern over the direction of the Senate Committee’s actions.
It urged the National Assembly to prioritise the completion and passage of the Nigeria Labour Law, describing it as a more “pressing and productive legislative priority” that would strengthen labour relations and boost investor confidence.
The statement accused the Senate Committee on Labour and Employment, chaired by Senator Diket Plang, of driving an amendment process that could erode the tripartite management structure of the NSITF — a model designed to balance the interests of government, employers, and workers.
“Any attempt to politicise the NSITF board would jeopardise the Fund’s integrity and its mandate to protect Nigerian workers through social insurance,” OPSN warned.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement with government and lawmakers but insisted that institutional governance should not be sacrificed for political expediency.
