By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja
The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has achieved approximately 85 per cent of its 2026 contribution target within the first half of the year, despite significant institutional changes during the period.
Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Fund, Mr. Oluwaseun Faleye, disclosed this while declaring open the 2026 Half-Year Management Performance Review held simultaneously across six regional locations of the NSITF.
Faleye attributed the performance to the commitment of regional and branch leadership, compliance teams and staff, noting that the Fund remained focused on delivering results despite operational challenges.
He said the first half of 2026 was marked by the Voluntary Exit Exercise, describing it as an important milestone in the Fund’s institutional development that brought new responsibilities and leadership demands.
According to him, offices across the country adapted to the changes with resilience and professionalism, with officers taking up new roles and teams reorganising to ensure that operations continued without interruption.
The NSITF boss stressed that the resilience demonstrated by staff underscored the importance of people in driving institutional reforms, even as the Fund continues to invest in systems, structures and technology.
He also emphasised the importance of recognising outstanding performance, saying excellence should not go unnoticed because recognition encourages hard work and healthy competition.
Faleye explained that the half-year review was not designed to apportion blame, but to identify what was working, address areas of weakness and create an environment in which every office could succeed.
He identified the Fund’s priorities for the second half of the year as deepening compliance, expanding social security coverage, improving the speed and quality of claims administration, strengthening stakeholder engagement and building greater public trust.
The NSITF MD further highlighted digital transformation, improved data quality and simplified processes as key tools for reducing delays, but cautioned that technology alone could not transform the institution.
“Every reform ultimately depends on leadership, integrity, discipline and our collective willingness to embrace change,” he said.
Faleye reminded staff that the Fund’s mandate was ultimately about protecting people, particularly injured workers, bereaved families, employers seeking responsive services and Nigerian workers entitled to protection under the Employees’ Compensation Scheme.
He urged Regional Managers, Branch Managers, Heads of Departments and other staff to approach the second half of the year with renewed purpose, saying the real measure of success would be the extent to which the Fund strengthened its institutions and expanded protection for Nigerian workers.
He expressed confidence that by the end of 2026, the NSITF would have further demonstrated its capacity to become a modern, responsive and trusted social security institution.
In a related development, the Executive Director, Operations, Mrs. Mojisola Alli-Macaulay, challenged the Fund’s regional and branch leadership to move beyond measuring activities and focus more on tangible outcomes.
Alli-Macaulay, who is also Chairman of the Regional Management Performance Review, said the real measure of success should include the number of employers complying with their obligations, the speed of claims settlement and the number of Nigerian workers brought under social security protection.
Speaking on the theme, “From Performance to Impact: Strengthening Compliance, Enhancing Service Delivery, and Expanding Social Security Coverage,” she said the review was designed to move the Fund beyond targets and reports to measurable impact.
She noted that impact would be evident when employers understood and fulfilled their obligations, claims were treated promptly and professionally, injured workers and bereaved families received the support due to them, and more Nigerian workers gained access to social security protection.
According to her, each region operates within different realities and faces unique challenges, making it necessary for managers to share lessons and successful approaches that could be replicated across other branches.
She identified four priority areas for operational leaders: purposeful engagement with employers, improved compliance outcomes from field operations, efficient and professional claims administration, and stronger use of technology supported by accurate data and clearer reporting.
Alli-Macaulay urged participants to be candid during their presentations by sharing both successes and shortcomings, stressing that the value of the review would ultimately be determined by the decisions taken and actions implemented after the meeting.
She said the resolutions reached at the review should provide a clearer roadmap for improving performance across the Fund’s regions and branches.
Meanwhile, the NSITF recognised 17 outstanding branches for their performance in contribution collection against set targets.
The recognised branches include Kebbi, Sokoto, Damaturu, Dutse, Trans-Amadi, Ado-Ekiti, Yenagoa, Katsina, Lekki, Port Harcourt, Ikeja, Bauchi, Mainland, Zaria, Gusau, Yola and Kano.
Victoria Island, Lagos Central and Lekki branches emerged as the Fund’s top three collecting branches, jointly accounting for approximately 40 per cent of total collections during the period under review.
The Regional Management Performance Review remains a major platform for the NSITF to assess performance, review resolutions from previous meetings and agree on practical measures to strengthen compliance with the Employees’ Compensation Act and expand social security coverage nationwide.
With the Fund recording 85 per cent of its annual contribution target at mid-year, management is now setting its sights on translating the momentum into stronger compliance, faster claims administration and wider protection for Nigerian workers in the second half of 2026.
