By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, has applauded the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Barr. Oluwaseun Faleye, for the far-reaching reforms introduced at the agency, describing the transformation as a major boost to Nigeria’s Employees’ Compensation Scheme.
The minister gave the commendation on Monday while receiving a delegation from The Gambia’s Industrial Injuries Compensation Fund under the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC). The delegation, led by NSITF Managing Director Barr. Faleye, paid a courtesy visit to the ministry as part of an ongoing knowledge-sharing mission.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Kamil Shoretire, Dingyadi praised the Gambian delegation’s decision to understudy Nigeria’s social insurance system, noting that the reforms at NSITF have significantly improved service delivery.
“Our compensation mechanism has improved, and a lot of digitization is happening now to ensure that claims are attended to as soon as possible,” the minister said, adding that the transformation taking place at NSITF has strengthened the administration of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme.
He stressed the importance of collaboration between Nigeria and The Gambia, saying both countries stand to benefit from exchanging ideas and best practices aimed at improving the welfare of workers and strengthening social protection systems.
According to the minister, while Nigeria has made considerable progress, the country remains committed to learning from the experiences of its West African counterparts.
“Our own is an ongoing process. We have not reached where we want to be, and we also want to see what Gambia has been able to do so that our fund can adopt the best practices they share with us,” he said.
Earlier, NSITF Managing Director Barr. Faleye said the visit reflected the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and The Gambia and underscored the importance of regional cooperation in addressing common social security challenges.
He explained that the exchange programme followed discussions held during the International Social Security Association (ISSA) workshop hosted by NSITF in April, which attracted delegates from several West African countries, including Cape Verde, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and The Gambia.
Faleye noted that similarities in demographics, labour markets and workplace safety challenges across African countries make collaboration essential.
“We accepted the request because our institutions face similar challenges. Learning from one another will be critical in improving the protection of workers and strengthening our social insurance systems,” he said.
He added that technical sessions had already commenced between officials of both institutions, allowing them to exchange practical experiences on the day-to-day administration of compensation and workplace safety programmes.
Faleye also emphasized that the partnership would be mutually beneficial, saying Nigeria was equally interested in learning from The Gambia’s experiences.
Speaking on behalf of the Gambian delegation, Pierre Gomez commended the remarkable transformation recorded at NSITF since his last visit nearly a decade ago.
“Nigeria is our big brother, and that’s why we are here again for knowledge sharing. I have seen tremendous improvements, and it is important for us to take these lessons back home to strengthen our own institution,” Gomez said.
Earlier, while welcoming the delegation at the NSITF headquarters, Faleye reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to regional collaboration, stressing the need for African institutions to work together on workplace safety, occupational health, and employee protection.
“It is important that we continue to share ideas on workplace safety, occupational hazards, and the protection of workers. We also look forward to visiting The Gambia in the future to deepen this collaboration,” he said.
