By Nwachukwu Godson
Recent developments indicate that the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has reclaimed its purity and re-positioned as the nation’s foremost vehicle of social inclusion and poverty reduction. While it is true that the Employees’ Compensation Act of 2010 which aligns with the ILO Convention 102 spelt out social inclusion standards for the agency, it will be difficult before now to vouch the extent it has succeeded with this mandate over the years. Not anymore! There is a new climate of change in the fund and its salutary effects in the world of work are eliciting reactions from its stakeholders. With credible performance rating on the ascendant, the old appears to have “passed away” for this agency.
It was therefore not surprising when in December 2023, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) conferred its prestigious Best Service Delivery Award on the NSITF. NECA, the body of private sector employers and one leg of the tripartite ownership of the NSITF is an institution that rarely acts in vain. Its prize is not for bidders. Besides the transparent voting process conducted online, a broad spectrum of voters come from the business constituency which is the primary target of the fund’s services, hence in the best position for critical appraisal.
The emergence of the NSITF at the NECA awards is quite significant. It is a big vote of confidence on the delivery of the Employees’ Compensation as well as thumbs-up for the slew of measures the current management has taken to change the course of the organisation. The NSITF is the custodian of the ECA 2010 under which it is charged to provide a comprehensive compensation and rehabilitation to employees and their registered beneficiaries in case of workplace injuries, disabilities, occupational diseases, or fatalities by maintaining a solvent compensation fund for both employees and employers, while instituting efficient procedures for enforcing occupational safety and health standards to prevent workplace accidents.
That award no doubt is an eloquent affirmation of the fidelity of the agency to the implementation of the above provisions. In practical terms, it means that more and more employers and their workers are being brought under the social security net. It entails that additional Nigerians at different workplaces benefit from free occupational safety and accident prevention sessions which the NSITF conducts in line with Convention 155 of the ILO. Inversely, it signifies that occupational accidents are being reduced in workplaces covered by the NSITF. The corollary is that where accidents or death occurs in the course of work, the fund is alive to its responsibilities in terms of claims and compensations. Stretched further, the award shows that the Fund is pushing the bracket of social inclusion among the social partners. It denotes further that under the current management of the fund, the turnaround time of services has drastically improved, connoting equally that where the fund had lagged behind hitherto, it has tied the loose ends.
To drive the facts home, it is important to further break down the indices leading to the triumph at NECA 2023 awards. First, there is a recalibration of the agency’s strategic objectives to align with the Eight Point Agenda of the Tinubu Administration on Poverty Reduction by carefully laying a groundwork for operational expansion into the untapped areas of the ILO Convention 102 . The fund also upscaled its reach on employment injuries and invalidity benefits to 670 dependent beneficiaries and 852 disability beneficiaries. But this, does not include a number of deceased dependents who are also under its care, pending the attainment of 21years of age or graduation from tertiary institution by the last child of the family.
Then, the NSITF quietly but strategically drove an upswing in the enrollees sensitization, taking the number to over 145,000 employers and 7.4 million employees while extending claims and compensations by the end of 2023, to over 103,000 beneficiaries, including 111 persons placed on artificial limbs. 11 other workers who had severe injuries had to be flown abroad for further treatment. And in all, the Fund has spent about N6.6 billion in this social re-engineering.
But what does the future look like for the NSITF? The Managing Director, Maureen Allagoa in her new year message painted a brighter future when she said she will consolidate her achievements in 2023 while creating new branches and service centres in 2024 to expand social services to all Nigerians. She promised to exert an impactful influence on the social security ecosystem. “ We are embarking on an expansion policy, adopting the branch-in-branch strategy with Lagos Region as a pilot while also creating Service Delivery Centers across the country to further bring our services to all Nigerians using Bonny Service Delivery Center as a pilot.” She added, “we will expand our operations and coverage into the informal sector and other unreached areas in dire need of social security services. In addition to reaching more clients, this will reduce commuting distance for staff on compliance drive.” She therefore sought the support of the fund’s stakeholders to forge ahead in the New Year, stating that the agency will witness significant changes that will transform it into a world class social security institution, capable of setting the agenda for social change and poverty alleviation in Nigeria.
• Nwachukwu writes from Abuja