NSITF lauds ILO on sustenance of global social security

Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), has lauded the International Labour Organisation (ILO), for the institutionalisation of social security initiatives that have impacted positively on the working class. 

The General Manager, Administration, NSITF, Segun Basorun, who stated this on the sideline of the just-concluded International Labour Conference, in Geneva, Switzerland, asserted that conventions and standards of the ILO have helped in ensuring social cohesion in the world of work globally.

“In the last 100 years, since 1919 when it was created, ILO has impacted positively on the world. Concerning social security, it has nine pillars that are very important in the life of human beings. These pillars are all resolutions, standards that nations have ratified.

For instance, the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund is executing the pillars that have to do with compensation for work-related mishaps such as loss of life, loss of body parts and even stress at work. If the ILO had not created that standard, we might not be doing anything in that regard. And as someone who is involved, I know how much succour we have provided for Nigerians that suffer work-related mishaps.

“I know that the safety that the Fund provides for workers in Nigeria would not have been possible without the ILO establishing that standard which was ratified by the Nigerian government. The fact that the ILO has created these pillars gives a kind of direction for nations to follow as far as social security is concerned,” he stated.

Basorun explained that while Nigeria is not operating all the nine social security pillars yet, the country has done well enough to incorporate a number of social security initiatives domiciled in government agencies, parastatals and ministries. 

He mentioned health insurance scheme, pension, maternity, and employees’ compensation as branches of social security schemes that Nigeria operates. 

He said: “Countries are at different stages of development. There are countries that provide loss of employment as a social security item. There are countries that provide for old age and the mandates of the NSITF reflect all these pillars. 

“We are doing it one step at a time and eventually we will get there. We have a compass point, which is nine in the area of social security, and we hope to implement the nine so that we will provide full succour to the Nigeria citizens using NSIFT as a platform.”

While NSITF is mandated statutorily to enforce safety at work, Basorun added that the Fund is executing the task in partnership with the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA).

Basorun explained: “We have a partnership with NECA on promoting a safe work environment by preventing occupational accidents. When you prevent accident people will go back home the way they left. The partnership with NECA encourages employers to further realise that they have a responsibility to ensure that work is done safely in their organisations.

Apart from NECA, we have safety officers all over Nigeria who also pay advocacy visit to organisations to talk about health and safety and the importance of doing work in a manner that is safe. These safety officers do root course analysis of why accidents happen, where they happen and recommend steps aimed at preventing reoccurrence because ultimately, all accidents are caused.”

He added that NSITF is equally partnering with trade unions and trade centres in the country to entrench the importance of safe work environment and collaborating with them to encourage employers of their members to join the Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS), saying, “ultimately, it is the workers that the scheme is designed for.

While the workers would benefit from the treatment, rehabilitation or compensation to spouses in the event of death, employers would also benefit from the increased productivity of workers. Workers would put in their best when they know they won’t be taken care of in case of occupational injuries. So, that is why we say the ECS is a win-win scheme that finds no fault.”