The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has called on the Nigerian legal community to champion advocacy for the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS) and lead by example by subscribing to it.
Managing Director of the NSITF, Barrister Olúwaṣeun Faleye, made the appeal in Enugu during the 65th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
He also recommended that compliance with the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA) should become a prerequisite for elevation to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
Delivering the lead paper titled “Enhancing Workplace Safety and Social Protection: The Role of the Employees’ Compensation Act 2010” at the VI Breakout Session, Faleye emphasized that the implementation and success of the Act cannot rest solely on the NSITF.
“Like every piece of transformative legislation, the ECA lives and breathes through the interpretation, advocacy, and enforcement carried out by lawyers, judges, and policymakers,” he said.
“Apart from expecting you to advocate for the Employees’ Compensation Scheme, the most crucial expectation we have is that lawyers lead by example. We must comply with the law ourselves. All law firms practicing in Nigeria should subscribe to the Employees’ Compensation Scheme.”
Highlighting the occupational hazards in the legal profession, Faleye cited injuries and fatalities from work-related travel, prolonged sitting leading to back problems, and mental health challenges due to work pressure.
“As you all know, law practice, especially for colleagues in dispute resolution, comes with significant risks. We travel extensively to advocate and defend clients, often under intense stress. Yet, many law firms are still not complying with the Employees’ Compensation Scheme,” he noted.
“The NBA must do more. Compliance with the ECA should be part of the documentation required for taking silk. As part of law firm inspections, evidence of compliance must be demanded, similar to the emphasis placed on pension obligations.”
Faleye further urged corporate lawyers to educate their clients on the benefits of the scheme, tying social protection under the ECA to fundamental human rights.
Speaking with journalists after the session, Faleye stressed the influential role of the legal profession in shaping public policy.
“The NBA can serve as a bridge between policymakers and the workforce, ensuring that workplace safety and employee protections meet global best practices while reflecting local realities,” he said.
He also underscored the judiciary’s role in giving life to the Act: “Judicial interpretation must consistently reflect its worker-centered philosophy. Courts must avoid narrow, technical interpretations that undermine its purpose. The protection of human dignity is paramount.”
