The Organised Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN) has urged the National Assembly to halt moves to amend the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Act, warning that the proposed changes could undermine the Fund’s autonomy, weaken its governance structure, and expose it to political interference.
In a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and signed by the directors-general of its five constituent bodies, the OPSN expressed “grave concern” over the amendment bill currently before the Senate Committee on Labour and Employment, chaired by Senator Diket Plang. The bill has already passed a second reading.
The OPSN—which includes the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), the Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), the Nigeria Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), and the Nigeria Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI)—said the proposed amendment would “fundamentally weaken” the NSITF’s governance and erode accountability and transparency.
NECA’s Director-General, Adewale Smatt-Oyerinde, speaking on behalf of the group, reminded lawmakers that the NSITF was established on a tripartite governance model representing government, employers, and labour. He stressed that this structure aligns with International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions ratified by Nigeria, including Convention 102 on Social Security (Minimum Standards), Convention 144 on Tripartite Consultation, and Convention 87 on Freedom of Association.
“These conventions require that social security institutions be managed with the full and effective participation of social partners to safeguard the interests of both contributors and beneficiaries,” Smatt-Oyerinde said. “The Senate must therefore not tamper with the delicate balance that ensures transparency and accountability in the Fund’s management.”
The OPSN argued that the proposed amendment would reduce the representation of employers and workers—the main contributors and beneficiaries—while expanding government control through political appointments. This, it said, contradicts the principles of good governance and the ILO’s Recommendation 202 on Social Protection Floors, which emphasises participatory and transparent administration of social security systems.
The group warned that replacing the current tripartite board with a politically dominated structure would “erode the Fund’s autonomy, invite mismanagement, and endanger the benefits and security of millions of Nigerian workers and their families.”
Citing global precedents, the OPSN noted that social security systems tend to suffer inefficiency, corruption, and loss of public trust when politicised. It therefore appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene and ensure that the NSITF remains independent, professionally managed, and aligned with international standards.
