The Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Oluwaseun Faleye, has urged staff to prioritise empathy, interdepartmental collaboration and efficient service delivery to strengthen public confidence in the organisation.

Faleye said sustained efforts to exceed customers’ expectations would improve public perception of the Fund and reinforce its capacity to serve workers, employers and dependants of employees, who suffer work-related injuries or die in the course of employment.

He stated this in Abuja while flagging off the 2026 Customer Service Week celebration at the NSITF headquarters, with a call on employees to make the theme, “Go the Extra Mile,” a permanent workplace ethic rather than a slogan limited to the yearly event.

“Going the extra mile will give us the extra edge in terms of how people perceive us, how people experience NSITF and, of course, the personal satisfaction of knowing that you are doing your best for people,” he said.

The NSITF boss stressed that the Fund’s mandate required a high degree of sensitivity, particularly when dealing with injured workers, employers, and families of deceased employees seeking compensation and other support.

He said employees must demonstrate empathy and understanding in handling such cases, given the human and economic consequences of workplace injuries, occupational diseases, disabilities and deaths.

Faleye warned against returning to old work habits after the celebration, arguing that lasting improvements in customer experience depended on consistently applying the principles of excellent service across the organisation.

“I don’t want us just to use the moment, the week, the month as a customer service-oriented period and afterwards go back to our usual status. I want us to keep that momentum and sustain it going forward because it is through sustained and enhanced customer service delivery that we can be better,” he said.

He also identified internal collaboration as critical to improving the Fund’s relationship with the public, noting that service delivery is a collective responsibility involving all departments.

He said the quality of assistance employees provide to colleagues in other departments ultimately affects the service external customers receive.

“Inspection and audit, compliance, claims departments, we are all customers to each other in providing service to the ultimate customer out there,” Faleye said.

He explained that delays, poor communication and inadequate cooperation within the organisation could undermine the experience of workers and employers seeking the Fund’s services.

While acknowledging the efforts of employees working under difficult circumstances, Faleye assured staff that management would continue to provide the tools and a conducive working environment needed to improve operational efficiency.

“We will continue to evolve. We will continue to provide the necessary tools for you to do those things in a much more efficient manner,” he said.

Faleye added that the Fund had seen improved public perception over the past one to two years, expressing optimism that continued attention to customer needs would strengthen that progress.

He thanked employees for their dedication and urged them to sustain their commitment beyond the celebration’s scheduled activities.