Our Reporter 

Fifteen years after the Employees’ Compensation Act was signed into law, the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) on Tuesday  presented the first compensation cheques worth N31,720,570.5 million directly to five beneficiaries from treasury-funded Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The maiden presentation held in Abuja, brought together families who lost loved ones or suffered workplace injuries in the course of public service.

Managing Director and Chief Executive of NSITF, Mr Oluwaseun Faleye, said the event was not ceremonial but the fulfilment of a legal promise. “We are not here for a ceremony. We are here to keep a promise,” Faleye told beneficiaries, permanent secretaries and heads of MDAs.

“What began as a system on paper has, today, become a cheque in someone’s hand. That is the distance between policy and people, and today, we closed it.”

The ECA 2010 guarantees compensation to every worker in Nigeria, whether in the public and private sector, who suffers injury, occupational disease, or dies in the course of work. For years, Faleye said, that guarantee “lived mostly on paper” for federal civil servants.

The breakthrough followed the onboarding of federal workers into the ECS framework and the launch of an ECS Help Desk at the Office of the Head of Service in April this year.

Faleye paid tribute to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, OON, for driving compliance in the public sector. 

“What we are witnessing today does not happen without leadership willing to make compliance a culture rather than a memo,” he said.

“Your office did not simply permit this process; it drove it, defended it, and insisted that Nigeria’s civil servants would not be an afterthought in their own government’s welfare architecture,” he added.

Addressing beneficiaries directly, the NSITF boss acknowledged that no payment could replace a lost life. “I will not stand here and tell you that any amount on any cheque undoes what your family has been through. It does not,” he said.

“What this cheque does say is this: you were not forgotten. Your loss was seen. Your sacrifice was recorded, not just in a file, but in the conscience of this nation.”

He assured families that NSITF’s responsibility does not end with the payment. “We consider it begun,” he added, citing plans for faster claims processing and stronger occupational health and safety standards to prevent future incidents.

Faleye also urged MDAs yet to fully enrol their staff to act immediately. “To every MDA and every organisation not yet fully enrolled: your workers are already exposed to the risk. The only question is whether they are also protected. Enrol. Comply,” he said, adding that “every family in this room today is proof of what it costs when protection arrives late, and proof of what it means when, eventually, it arrives at all.”

The NSITF boss said the scheme will now be extended to reach every eligible worker across the federal service, not only those who know to ask.

The beneficiaries include, Jae Grace Danture from the Office of Auditor General of the Federation (N3,821,009.28), Uzochukwu Aguomba (N10,397,550), Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olofu Pius Agri (N3,168,656), University of Abuja, Patience Oyekunle Nwankwo (N2,450,000), Office of Head of Service of the Federation and Audu Sanda Eyum (N11,883,355) from the Pension Transition Arrangement Directorate (PTAD).

In her remarks at the occasion, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, commended the NSITF MD and his organization for their commitment to the protection of workers. “I strongly commend the Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, Mr. Oluwaseun Mayomi Faleye, and his team for their commitment to protecting the welfare and dignity of Nigerian workers and making today possible”.

She noted that “Today, we are translating Government’s promise of protection into practical support for Civil Servants and families affected by work-related injury, occupational disease, disability or loss. These cheques are neither gifts nor acts of charity. They are lawful entitlements under the Employees’ Compensation Act, 2010, and evidence that Government stands with those who serve”.

She commended President Bola Tinubu for continuously prioritising the welfare and dignity of workers, stressing that the ESC advances the “Renewed Hope Agenda by placing people and improved service delivery at the centre of governance. That the Act has become operational for Public Servants for the first time, under this Administration, is evidence of Mr. President’s belief in the critical role the Public Service plays in Governance”.

She recalled that earlier in the year, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the NSITF signed a Memorandum of Understanding and commissioned the Employees’ Compensation Scheme Help Desk. The Help Desk was established to simplify access to information, facilitate incident reporting and support the processing of claims and this presentation demonstrates that the partnership is producing tangible results.

According to her, “The Employees’ Compensation Scheme provides financial compensation, medical care, counselling and rehabilitation for affected employees, as well as support for dependents in fatal cases. It is an important social protection mechanism that supports recovery and enables affected officers to rebuild their lives with dignity. It is designed to provide succour to Public Servants whose lives are adversely affected, during the course of their official duties”.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr. Kamil Ayinde Shoretire, praised NSITF for keeping to its mandate to ensure Nigerians have access to social security and protection.

He said the Employees’ Compensation Scheme was framed to ensure safety at the workplace and guarantee against any form of incident that would undermine the wellbeing of workers.

“These activities today are a demonstration of the Tinubu-led government’s commitment to boost workers’ productivity and improve safety at the workplace. NSITF will continue to serve Nigerians better as it has shown commitment to enhance social safety in our workspaces”, he stated.

NSITF’s Executive Director (Finance), Samuel Olufemi Ayodele, reacting to the accolades given by the Head of Service and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, restated that the NSITF was excited to host such events, saying, “We are proud of moments like this, which clearly show we are on course in the discharge of our mandate and responsibility to workers and the Nigerian people.”

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Sandra Audu from PTAD, commended the NSITF for their professionalism, especially in carrying out the verification, saying, “ I want to thank the management of the NSITF and the staff for their commitment to professionalism.

“I did not know anybody at NSITF, but everything went well. Even when I was at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, because of my condition, I couldn’t go to the office, but they made arrangements to meet with me, and everything went seamlessly. To me, this is another benefit of the Renewed Hope Agenda, and I commend all those concerned”, she stated.