Unsafe workplaces threaten jobs, lives, economy – NSITF, NECA, FG
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By Victor Ahiuma-Young
In Nigeria when a worker leaves home to work each morning, there is no guarantee of safe return uninjured or alive as safety is often an afterthought, and risk is part of the job description.
As Nigeria grapples with economic uncertainty and the pressures of a rapidly evolving world of work, this quiet danger is becoming impossible to ignore. Unsafe workplaces, stakeholders warn, are no longer just claiming lives; they are eroding jobs, productivity and the country’s economic future. Once viewed as routine occupational hazards, poor working conditions have now escalated into a national social and economic emergency, prompting the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, the Federal Government and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, to sound the alarm over the growing risks facing Nigerian workers.
This message resonated at the Safe Workplace Intervention Project, SWIP, yearly stakeholders’ interactive enlightenment forum and awards ceremony, organised by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the NSITF, and NECA, themed: Enhancing Workplace Safety, Strengthening Compliance, Celebrating Excellence.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of NSITF, Oluwaseun Faleye, urged employers across the country to be deliberate and proactive in complying with workplace safety and health regulations, stressing that the future of work in Nigeria is being shaped by the decisions taken today.
Faleye said: “The future of work in Nigeria will be defined by how well we protect our workforce while driving productivity and growth.
“At the core of the Employees’ Compensation Act 2010 is a simple but profound truth: every worker matters. No job is worth a life, and no organisation can sustainably thrive when safety is treated as an afterthought.”
He called on organisations yet to fully align with safety and health compliance standards to take advantage of the SWIP platform to engage, learn and make the necessary adjustments.
According to Faleye, compliance should not be viewed merely as a regulatory obligation, but as a strategic business decision that protects human capital, reduces operational risks and enhances corporate reputation.
Over the years, he noted, SWIP has evolved into a strategic platform for raising awareness, strengthening compliance and fostering collaboration on occupational safety and health.
The forum, he said, represents a vital meeting point between policy, practice and performance, bringing together employers, workers, regulators and partners to collectively build safer and more productive workplaces.
He added: “Today’s gathering is not just an information session; it is a shared commitment. It reflects our collective resolve to ensure that economic growth does not come at the expense of worker safety, and that productivity is anchored on environments that protect lives, dignity and livelihoods.”
While thanking the Ministry of Labour and Employment, NECA, and other partners for their support, he reaffirmed NSITF’s commitment to deepening collaboration, strengthening compliance and promoting a culture where every workplace is a safe workplace.
On his part, NECA Director-General, Mr. Adewale Smatt Oyerinde, described workplace safety as a fundamental responsibility of employers.
While acknowledging the drive for profit and productivity, he insisted that the safety of workers must remain a top priority.
He warned that occupational safety is often treated with dangerous nonchalance by both employers and employees, despite its life-and-death implications.
Oyerinde expressed confidence that SWIP would not only reward excellence but also help reset the national conversation on workplace safety.
Safe workplace not optional
In his keynote address, Minister of Labour and Employment, Maigari Dingyadi, described the SWIP as a collaborative occupational health and safety initiative designed to enhance workplace safety nationwide through structured audits, stakeholder engagement and recognition of best practices.
He emphasised that occupational health and safety is a shared responsibility and cannot be handled by government alone.
Commending NSITF and NECA for sustaining the initiative, the Minister described SWIP as a model of effective public-private sector collaboration.
Similarly, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, among others, said: “A safe workplace is not optional; it is a legal requirement. Going forward, there is also a need to review our legal framework to ensure that it adequately reflects the value of workers’ lives when accidents result in fatalities. I strongly advocate for a review of compensation because, as it stands, when workers die, their families are often given what can only be described as inadequate compensation. This narrative must change. Employers must comply with established standards, and this is what we should collectively uphold and celebrate.
“The Safe Workplace Intervention Project, SWIP, is therefore both timely and strategic. By combining awareness, compliance, support, and recognition of excellence, SWIP helps to shift the mindset of employers—from viewing workplace safety as a cost to recognising it as an investment in people.
“I wish to reaffirm that this administration will not compromise on occupational safety and health. Our objective is simple and non-negotiable: every Nigerian worker must leave home for work and return safely at the end of the day. I urge employers to fully comply with the provisions of the Employees’ Compensation Act through prompt registration, regular remittance of contributions, and sustained investment in safety systems. I also encourage workers to remain safety-conscious and to exercise their rights responsibly under the law.”
Journey so far
In a presentation titled: Employees’ Compensation Act, 2010: The Journey So Far, the Executive Director of Operations at NSITF, Mojisola Ali-Macaulay, highlighted the Fund’s statutory role in occupational safety and health, noting that Section 3 of the Act explicitly makes OSH part of NSITF’s mandate.
According to her, NSITF has compensated a total of 142,576 beneficiaries from January to December 2025.
Ali-Macaulay noted that the Fund also registered over 197,938 employers, covering 7,754,883 employees, among other achievements so far.
She informed that NSITF conducted OSH audits and inspections at 3,986 sites nationwide over the last 12 months.
Ali-Macaulay reiterated that NSITF has expanded its presence across Nigeria’s 36 states, with 13 regions and 62 branches.
The Executive Director, Operations, stated that the Fund carried out 814 incident investigations involving 23 fatalities, while delivering OSH awareness and sensitization to about 2,763 employers in 2025.
Breaking down the 142,576 contingencies and beneficiaries, she explained that 64,423 fell under the disability category, followed by 51,933 death categories have all been compensated over the last one year.
She added that 14,087 retirement benefits were claimed, 8,933 beneficiaries received medical expense refunds, 3,077 involved loss of productivity and further medical treatment (including 12 beneficiaries), and 111 cases involved the provision of prostheses, all compensated so far.
Highlighting challenges, Macaulay said employers’ unwillingness to comply with legislation, under-declaration of employee emoluments and staff strength, delays in reporting injuries, and late submission of claims have hindered progress.
She also noted poor responses from other tiers of government—federal, state, and local—as discouraging, adding that public awareness of the Employers Compensation Scheme (ECS) remains relatively low despite the fund’s sensitization efforts.
Looking ahead, the Director stated: “We will work harder to upscale employer on-boarding and compliance enforcement across the three tiers of government and the informal sector.
“We will deepen OSH advocacy and workplace safety monitoring, expand and enhance the digitalization of our operational processes for seamless, fast service delivery to all stakeholders.”
A key highlight of the event was the recognition of organisations that have demonstrated outstanding commitment to occupational health and safety.
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