The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting workers’ welfare through sustained compensation payments and social protection policies across the country, disclosing that it paid over N1bn in compensation.
Managing Director and Chief Executive, Oluwaseun Faleye, who was represented at the Lagos International Trade Fair by the General Manager, Claims and Compensation at NSITF, Nkiru Ogunnaike, presented figures highlighting the Fund’s recent interventions for injured and deceased workers.
According to a statement, Faleye said the Fund’s activities reflected its belief that “benefits compensation is not just a policy, it is a promise, a promise that no worker will be left behind when life takes an unexpected turn.”
He explained that the NSITF had disbursed hundreds of millions of naira to affected employees and their dependents under the Employees’ Compensation Scheme, a statutory safety net protecting workers from occupational hazards.
The NSITF chief disclosed that the Fund paid N42.5m and a monthly benefit of N2m to the family of a deceased worker of Depthwize Limited, while dependents of a Nigerian Breweries employee have so far received N76.07m in compensation, with payments continuing until 2034.
“Depthwize, an Oil & Gas company; a case of boat capsizing leading to death. NSITF has paid the sum of N42,499,484.79 and a monthly benefit of N2,023,784.99 until the last child attains the age of 21,” the statement read in part.
Faleye added that NSITF had paid N93.89m to the dependents of a deceased staff member of Mobil Producing Nigeria. Additionally, beneficiaries from Indigo Drilling received a cumulative N320.4m covering three deceased and two disabled workers.
Other compensations included N20.77m for the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria, N15.67m for Zenith Bank, N20.27m for Medplus, and N11.17m for Unity Bank employees. He also noted that a National Assembly employee received N25m for an occupational disease, while 39 Nigeria Customs Service employees collectively received N484.2m.
“National Assembly: A case of Occupational Disease, the employee received the sum of N25,000,000. Nigeria Customs Service, 39 employees have received the sum of N484,239,694.22 thus far,” he added.
Faleye disclosed that the Fund paid N31.1m to a Nestlé Nigeria employee involved in a road traffic accident, with ongoing medical refunds and disability allowance.
He noted, “Support is not a passive gesture; it is active, deliberate, and deeply human. It is what we provide when a worker is injured and what we extend when uncertainty threatens a family’s stability.”
Highlighting the tripartite structure of the Fund, Faleye stressed that the government, employers, and employees jointly form the foundation of a resilient social protection system.
“The employer contributes and complies; the employee’s well-being remains at the heart of our mission; and the government provides the legal framework and oversight that ensure fairness and transparency,” he stated.
He urged all stakeholders to embrace a culture of compliance, compassion, and accountability to ensure every Nigerian worker feels protected.
Faleye added, “Behind every claim processed and every compensation paid, there is a human story: a father recovering from injury, a mother keeping her children in school, a young worker returning to work with courage.”
He concluded by urging Nigerians to see workers’ protection as a national priority.
“A society that protects its workers is a society that prospers. Benefits compensation is not charity; it is justice, empowerment, and nation-building,” he stressed.
