…As Faleye speaks on compliance, payroll transparency under Employees’ Compensation Act
By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja
The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) is set to lead a major session at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with a focus on strengthening legal protections and social security for workers across Nigeria.
The session, scheduled for the NBA-AGC holding from August 21 to 28, 2026, will be led by the Managing Director and Chief Executive of NSITF, Mr Oluwaseun Faleye.
The session is themed, “Expanding the Legal Frontiers of Workplace Protection and Social Security Beyond Limits in Nigeria.”
The engagement is expected to shift attention from awareness of workers’ rights to practical measures for strengthening the implementation of the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA) 2010, improving employer compliance and expanding access to workplace protection.
Faleye is expected to highlight the Fund’s efforts to expand coverage and strengthen collaboration with the judiciary and the NBA in enforcing the provisions of the Act.
A major focus of the discussion will be the legal implications of payroll under-declaration by employers, as well as transparency in meeting statutory obligations.
The session will also examine how lawyers and other stakeholders can help close the gap between policy and implementation, particularly in ensuring that workers who suffer occupational injuries, diseases or death receive the compensation and support provided under the law.
The ECA 2010, administered by NSITF through the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS), provides compensation, medical care and rehabilitation for employees who sustain workplace injuries, contract occupational diseases or die in the course of employment.
However, significant challenges remain, particularly in the areas of awareness, understanding of statutory rights and obligations, employer compliance and enforcement.
NSITF has also identified the under-declaration or outright exclusion of employees from company payrolls as a major challenge limiting workers’ access to compensation benefits.
According to the Fund, legal practitioners have a critical role to play in promoting compliance with statutory obligations, advocating for employees and supporting the effective enforcement of the Employees’ Compensation Act.
The Port Harcourt conference is expected to bring together thousands of lawyers, judges, policymakers and other stakeholders to deliberate on issues of law, governance and social justice.
NSITF is the agency responsible for administering the Employees’ Compensation Scheme under the Employees’ Compensation Act 2010, providing social protection and compensation to workers in Nigeria’s public and private sectors.
