NSITF reveal plans to amend Employees’ Compensation Act  

Plans are underway by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) to amend the Employees’ Compensation Act to ensure employers comply with the provisions of the law.

The Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NSITF, Dr. Kelly Nwagha, disclosed this during the Fund’s Special Day of Safety at the just-concluded International Trade Fair.

Represented by the Acting Executive Director, Operations, Kabir Maaji, Nwagha, said “a committee is already in charge of revising the law to bring out some of those things that would be enforced by the law, and where they would be addressed and sent to the executive council for a Bill to be sent to the National Assembly to amend such laws to give us the backing to be able to enforce.”

Nwagha, who said the Fund had continued to carry out advocacy to ensure employers comply with their contribution to the scheme, disclosed that the Fund paid about 13,000 claims at about N905 million, and expressed hope to pay more claims that may hit N1 billion before year-end.

The NSITF boss urged all employers to key into the scheme for the benefit of all, noting that employers should contribute one per cent of the employee’s gross emoluments on behalf of the employee into a pool of funds against accidents or injuries, death and occupational disease among others at work or in the course of work.

The Fund’s acting Regional Manager, Lagos Regional Office, Adedeji Adegoke, explained what the agency is about, its role of safety in the Employee Compensation Scheme and statistics of accidents and compensated cases in the year.

President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Toki Mabogunje, who was represented by the chamber’s Vice President, Gabriel Idahosa, commended NSITF on initiatives in improving employer/employee relationship and its consistency in delivering value to employees’ welfare.

He said: “A company’s success is based on the quality of welfare of its workforce on employers’ duty to provide a hazard-free and conducive environment for the workers.”