Stakeholders in Nigeria’s labour and social protection sectors are exploring ways to enhance labour productivity.

As part of this, a high-level retreat was organised by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) in collaboration with the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity in Lagos to address critical issues surrounding social protection coverage, legislative reforms and productivity of the workforce.

Delivering a keynote address at the event, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between the executive and legislative arms of government to drive comprehensive social security reform.

Citing global shifts such as artificial intelligence, climate change and the demand for just economic transitions, the minister said the current social protection framework in Nigeria must evolve to meet the realities.

“The prosperity of any nation is a function of how productive its labour is. But productivity is hampered when workers are not motivated or assured of their safety and compensation,” Dingyadi said.

He underscored the importance of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS), describing it as a vital instrument for ensuring income protection for workers in the face of injury, disability or death.

The minister praised NSITF’s management for revamping the agency’s operations and expanding ECS enrollment efforts.

However, he lamented that despite the scheme’s establishment over 15 years ago, enrollment remains low, leaving millions of Nigerian workers without adequate compensation or support during workplace contingencies.

NSITF’s Managing Director, Oluwaseun Faleye, in his welcome address, highlighted the importance of ongoing dialogue and the inclusion of stakeholders such as the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA).