The Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Barrister Olúwaṣeun Faleye, has emphasized that workplace safety and social protection are fundamental pillars of social justice, human dignity, and economic sustainability.
Faleye stated this while presenting a lead paper titled Enhancing Workplace Safety and Social Protection: The Role of the Employees’ Compensation Act 2010 at the Breakout Session VI of the Annual Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference in Enugu on Tuesday.
He said:
“Workplace safety and social protection are not optional luxuries. They ensure dignity, peace of mind, and assurance that one’s labour will not become a source of tragedy for one’s family. They reduce the burden on healthcare systems, mitigate poverty, and enhance national competitiveness.”
Faleye added that a nation that fails to protect its workers “fails to protect its future,” stressing that workplace safety and social protection are as much about human rights as they are about economic development.
He described the enactment of the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA) 2010 as a watershed moment in Nigeria’s social protection landscape. Comparing it to its predecessor, the Workmen’s Compensation Act, he noted that the ECA was more expansive and inclusive in scope and coverage.
According to him, other advantages of the ECA include its alignment with global best practices, elimination of lengthy legal battles, and the creation of a sustainable pool to shift burdens and address poverty traps caused by workplace disabilities or deaths.
Faleye commended the NBA for being “the conscience of the nation, a defender of rights, a champion of justice, and a custodian of democratic ideals that give meaning to our collective existence over the decades.”
Also speaking at the session, NSITF’s General Manager, Compliance, Alhaji Abdul-Lateef Musa, presented a paper titled Institutional Barriers to Effective Enforcement: The Role of Compliance Employees’ Rights and Strategies for Bridging Gaps between Policies and Workplace Practice. He highlighted the importance of compliance with the ECA 2010 as the backbone of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme and a catalyst for justice.
