NSITF Stresses Its Commitment to Safeguarding Vulnerable Workers, Says Faleye

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja 

The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has stated that it is dedicated to preventing and protecting all vulnerable groups, particularly people living with disabilities, through occupational safety and health measures.

A statement signed by Deputy General Manager Corporate Affairs Alex Mede noted that Managing Director Oluwaseun Faleye made the commitment while speaking at the recently concluded International Civil Service Conference in Abuja.

Represented by Regional Manager Abuja, Mrs. Bridget Ashang, Faleye explained that the Fund, via its Employees Compensation Scheme (ESC), ensures that vulnerable employees are not left unsupported.

“NSITF runs the Employees’ Compensation Scheme, a social protection and social security scheme for employees in the course of work. If there is any incident that leads to injury, disability, disease, or even death, we take care of dependents until the last child is 21 or a graduate of a tertiary institution. That’s the vulnerable group we talk about,” he said.

Faleye added, “For NSITF, our core mandate is compensation for employees if there is any incident in the course of work.”

“However, we realize that prevention is better than compensation, and that’s why we are leading when it comes to Occupational Safety and Health. So, yes, we’ve got to carry out this audit to say, yes, this is what is wrong, this should be here, and then there’s something we call corrective actions. We guide you, we advise, and we accommodate.”

He highlighted a specific vulnerable group that is often overlooked: “Those who wake up very early in the morning, get ready, no matter the weather, sometimes wearing suits or certain gowns, commute to work, stay at work, and do all sorts of work.”

The MD said that, in addition to promoting societal well‑being, social protection also aims to reduce infant mortality rates. “We want to encourage immunization, vaccinations, mortality care, taking care of pregnant women, and all of that.”

“And I told you earlier about school children, free food, free education, and the next thing, if we all agree, we’ll talk about pension. Almost all the time, it goes straight from children, infancy, straight all the way to pension.”

“What about the work group? The most vulnerable group in the world all the time, commutes to work, at work, or putting their shoes on and moving things up and down. And that is where NSITF comes in.”

Faleye said that, through the Employees’ Compensation Scheme, the Fund has observed that disabilities can arise from the course of work.

“So, one of the things we ensure first and foremost, and we promote, and we talk about, is safe, healthy, inclusive workplaces. We come around, and we do what we call an Occupational Safety Net in the workplace.”

“And one of the things we talk about is accessibility, and other things that are protected, those things that would ensure inclusivity of those who are living with certain disabilities, of women, of youth, and all of that,” he said.

Faleye lamented that the law failed to provide for sanctions. “Our law actually says, go out there, make sure the employees are properly taken care of while they are working. And if there’s an incident, we step it, but we like to say we believe in prevention. Prevention is better than cure, so we ensure that. Unfortunately, there are no sanctions.”