For the many participants who took part in the two-day retreat in Lagos, organised by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) recently, fond memories of the event will continue to leave something to cheer about.
The event with the theme, “Building a Stronger NSITF,” attracted participants from the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Labour and Employment was to acquaint them with the workings of the NSITF.
The event was foreshadowed with a high-profile advocacy visit to the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The new Managing Director of the NSITF, Oluwaseun Faleye, a lawyer and public intellectual, was accompanied on the visit by the Executive Director Finance and Investment, Adegoke Adedeji, Executive Director, Administration, Professor G.O.C Okenwa, and the Executive Director of Mobilisation, Hon. Mojisoluwa Ali-Macaulay, as well as members of the Senate and House Committees on Labour and Employment, led by their chairmen, Senator Diket Plang and Hon. Adegboruwa Adefarati, respectively.
Faleye appealed to the governor for the enrollment of the Lagos State workforce into the Employees Compensation Scheme (ECS) arguing that it would serve as a big boost to efforts by NSITF to get other states to key into the scheme.
The Lagos State government has a robust insurance package for its workers, the governor said, but “Lagos would be willing to explore collaboration with the NSITF to further boost social security to the Lagos workers.”
At the event proper, the Managing Director, in his welcome address said the NSITF under him would overcome the challenges that have hindered full realization of its potential as a “transparent, efficient, and resilient social security agency.”
He declared that the NSITF was targeting a yearly registration of one million employers, adding that the feat would become easier with the intervention of legislators in the fund’s advocacy drive.
He further averred that beyond rehabilitation and compensation of accident victims or claims to employers, the first stage in the ECS processes is accident prevention through the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) activities.
For the Senate Committee Chairman on Labour and Employment, Senator Diket Plang “I am highly delighted because of the robust engagement we have had at this retreat. The new vision for NSITF presented by the Managing Director further gives me confidence that the President has made a great choice in appointing the new leadership for the Fund. I have no doubt that NSIFT is in good hands and will grow in leaps and bounds, satisfying the yearning of Nigerians. On our part, we shall do everything within our legislative sphere of influence to aid their success.”
His counterpart in the House of Representatives, Hon. Adegboyaga Adefarati, enthused, “this is one of the best retreats I have ever attended. If you look around, all of us from the House Committee on Labour are here.
The Senator representing Anambra Central, Victor Umeh capped the remarks when he said, “from what you have presented to us this morning – all within one month of your resumption, it is obvious to all that you have a firm grip of your responsibilities in the NSITF.”
Following this was a flurry of other paper presentations led by Arc. K.B Ma’aji, General Manager Compliance.
His paper captioned “NSITF Compliance Core Mandates & Journey So Far” was challenging. A participant and member representing Nnewi North, Nnewi South and Ekwusigo Federal Constituency, Hon Peter Uzokwe who first critiqued Ma’aji’s presentation termed it “bold and assertive” but raised issues on how the “NSITF is not a revenue generating agency, yet has enough fund for investments.”
The Occupational Safety and Health activities of the NSITF would take the centre stage when Dr. Kelly Nwagha in his paper, “Embracing Positive Safety Culture in the Workplace.”
If Kelly’s presentation drew applause, another paper, “Benefits of the ECS to Employers, Employees & the Society” by Frances Nwachukwu, Deputy General Manager, Claims and Compensation received popular acclaim.
In a reaction, Hon. Ifeanyi Peter Uzokwe who earlier said he was reserving his commendation for the fund, was forced to a detour saying, “MD, if you are to come for your budget defence with this set of staff, we will ask you to bow and go.”
The second day of the retreat opened with short visuals on testimonies by some beneficiaries of the ECS. It was well received by the participants, some of whom with surprises on their faces, that ECS beneficiaries were, after all, not phantom.
The first paper of the day on “The roles of the ECS to the Informal Sector,” was delivered by Chika Onyewuchi, General Manager, Informal Sector.
Her navigation on the course of the Fund into this fertile-barren sector where over 80% of Nigerians eke a living was incisive. Then came the apex of the second day’s events, the prime time presentation, the roadmap to the future of the NSITF titled “NSITF Strategic Priorities 2024 -2027” by the Managing Director in which he outlined the strategic objectives of the Fund under 5 key pillars.
The two-day event was brought to an end with a communique read by Hon. Adegboyaga Adefarati. The highlight included the call on the federal government to remove the NSITF from the schedule 1 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 as the NSITF is not a revenue generating agency as well as the firm resolve on digital transformation of the processes of the Fund as well as the need for an extensive advocacy to enable Nigerians understand the mandate of the NSITF and further extend its benefits to the doorstep of all workers.
In the words of Senator Diket Plang, ” I have attended several meetings and workshops but I have not come across a retreat where my colleagues will come in the morning, remain seated either to advise or contribute till the end of the programme. This retreat is different.”
The vote of thanks by the Executive Director of Operations, Alli-Macaulay was a consolidation of a shared vision for the repositioning of the fund. Other executive directors also made cameo appearances in speeches at the event.
