FG Seeks Passage of Occupational Safety Bill to Expand Social Security

•NSITF pays N172.5m to Beneficiaries

Oluchi Chibuzor

The federal government has called on the National Assembly to urgently consider the passage of the Occupational Safety Bill for the expansion of the social security ecosystem in the country. This comes as Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Muhammad Dingyadi, said Nigeria’s social security landscape required strategic reforms to expand coverage, improve benefits, and ensure the sustainability of social insurance programmes.

Speaking at a retreat in Lagos for the Joint Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity, and other stakeholders, organised by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Dingyadi said efforts should be made to re-strategise the social security landscape.

He said as Minister for Labour and Employment, he was aware of the critical role that social security and labour productivity played in driving sustainable economic growth and ensuring the well-being of the country’s workforce.

He also said it was imperative that the nation addressed challenges facing the social security systems and work towards enhancing the productivity of the labour force.

Dingyadi stated, “It is, however, saddening to note that 15 years since the ECA came into law, enrolment into the scheme remains low, robbing affected workers of adequate compensation and turning many breadwinners into liabilities with a bleak future for them and their dependents.

“This situation prevents our nation from harnessing the full potential and productivity of affected persons.

“It is my sincere hope that the legislature will work within this event’s deliberations to strategise on the way forward to amend laws as necessary and pass new Bills such as the Occupational Safety and Health Bill and the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund Act 2010 to align with the Employees Compensation Act 2010.

“This will go a long way to ensure a holistic repositioning of the Fund, as well as empower it to effectively fulfil its mandate.”

The minister added, “I am committed to working closely with the NSITF and National Assembly Committees on Employment, Labour, and Productivity to enact legislation that will bolster our social security framework and promote initiatives aimed at enhancing overall labour productivity.

“Collaboration between the executive and legislative arms of government is crucial in driving meaningful reforms that will benefit our citizens and contribute to the nation’s socio-economic advancement.”

He stressed that Nigeria must strive to create a robust social security system that provided adequate protection for workers against income loss due to unemployment, disability, old age, and other contingencies.

Dingyadi said, “We must strive to create a robust social security system that provides adequate protection for workers against income loss due to unemployment, disability, old age, and other contingencies.

“Let me clarify that a sustainable future in this context captures that of the individual worker and the nation at large. Labour is indeed key among other factors of production, as it is the only factor of production that is skilled, creative and adds value. However, it is this humanity that can also serve as the Achilles heel of labour making it subject to errors and susceptible to diseases, injuries, disabilities and death.”

Delivering his opening speech, Managing Director/Chief Executive of   NSITF, Oluwaseun Faleye, said the presence of National Assembly members was not just an endorsement of the Employee Compensation Scheme (ECS), but also a bold declaration that “we are ready to think together, act together, and build together.”

Faleye said, “Indeed, this event is primarily at their request, and it goes to demonstrate the openness between the legislature and the executive to collaborate on critical issues to advance the social welfare of Nigerians.

“It is the second in the series of this initiative, and I am glad that all stakeholders are aligned that an engagement of this nature can only further deepen our understanding of the social welfare scheme in general and the operationality of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme in particular.

“Between June and July, the NSITF paid a total of N172.5 million to beneficiaries on the scheme, while employee enrolment in the formal sector rose by 151 per cent to almost eight million.

“The agency also recorded an increased number in the informal sector comprising Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) on the scheme from 6,000 to 15,500, summing up to N376 million in contribution collection.”

The senator for Imo West (Orlu) senatorial district, Osita Izunaso, said they were working towards fast-tracking the Occupational Safety Bill in the National Assembly.

Izunaso said, “Beyond the Occupational Safety Bill, there is a need for inter-agency collaboration between NSITF and other agencies of government.

“Not collaboration by way of mouth, but written collaboration, where the ministers involved will interface and the MDAs involved will also interface.

“So there is a need for such inter-agency collaboration even with CAC, NDE, SMEDAN, and all the rest of them. But most importantly, they have to also partner with NACIMA, where most of the private companies are members, and even the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria.”

On his part, Chairman of NSITF Board, Olushola Olofin, said the retreat came at a crucial moment in the country’s journey.

Olofin stated, “This retreat provides a unique platform to strengthen collaboration, improve ECS compliance and enforcement, and align our governance framework with global best practices.

“I urge us all to engage robustly, share boldly, and leave this retreat more united in our shared mission.”