The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has lamented that many workers in the country are left destitute after sustaining workplace injuries due to a lack of awareness about the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS).
Chairman of the NBA Gwagwalada Branch, Owhor Clever (Esq), stated this during a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) in Abuja.
He explained that the Fund’s presentation at the association’s 65th annual conference in Enugu enlightened many lawyers on the functions of the Fund and the ECS.
Clever commended the Barrister Oluwaseun Faleye-led management team for what he described as a brilliant and impactful presentation.
“The NSITF outing at our 65th annual conference in Enugu was an eye opener for many lawyers in Nigeria on the functions of the Fund and the ECS. The NSITF team deserves commendation for their brilliant presentations,” he said.
In his response, NSITF Managing Director, Oluwaseun Faleye, urged Nigerian lawyers to leverage their influence with clients to drive compliance with the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA) 2010.
Represented by the Executive Director of Administration, Barrister Samaila Abdu, Faleye stressed that lawyers have both a professional and moral responsibility to guide clients on how to benefit from the scheme.
“We have a duty to ourselves and to our clients. Lawyers must advise clients on how they can key into the Employees’ Compensation Scheme,” he noted.
Faleye further revealed the Fund’s plan to embark on sensitization visits to NBA branches nationwide to deepen awareness of the ECS and its benefits, pledging to collaborate with the Gwagwalada Branch of the NBA on training, sensitization, and other mutually beneficial initiatives.
He emphasized that the Employees’ Compensation Act 2010 was a landmark legal reform and moral commitment to protect Nigerian workers by ensuring proper care and compensation for workplace injuries.
The courtesy visit followed the recently concluded NBA Annual Conference in Enugu and was aimed at strengthening collaboration between the association and the NSITF.
