Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Mr. Oluwaseun Faleye has said the Fund is fast moving from manual, top-heavy operations to a more digital, efficient and accountable institution in the last two years.
A statement signed by the Deputy General Manager Corporate Affairs, Alex Mede, quoted Faleye as stating this position on Monday when he received the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr. Kamil A. Shoretire, to the NSITF Headquarters in Abuja.
While highlighting his stewardship, the MD said the management had to confront the challenges facing the Fund in an honest and pragmatic manner starting with reforms.
He said when the current management assumed office in July 2024, it met an institution with significant reliance on manual processes, a management structure heavily concentrated at the top, career stagnation, gaps in deployment of people and resources, and institutional processes that needed modernisation.
He gave a breakdown of key reform steps already taken to include a comprehensive staff audit, which recommendations are being implemented in phases to ensure sustainable, evidence-based reform.
“One of the first things we did was to undertake a comprehensive staff audit and provide an objective assessment of our workforce structure and organisational needs,” he said.
Faleye said that NSITF has, “commenced a digital transformation journey to transit from predominantly manual systems to integrated and responsive systems, while addressing structural imbalances through a Voluntary Exit Exercise to create a leaner, more functional organisation with clearer responsibilities and renewed room for career progression”.
Speaking on work environment and safety tools, the NSITF MD said that the operations Directorate has been moved to a more modern and conducive location while branches across the country are being given a facelift.
He added that furniture, ICT equipment, printers and transportation capacity are being deployed progressively, alongside sustained capacity building for staff.
The Managing Director noted that the internal reforms are already translating into expanded coverage for Nigerian workers.
He disclosed that the Fund has successfully onboarded treasury-funded Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, and has commenced payment of claims, with the first batch of five beneficiaries already having received compensation recently at an event witnessed by the Permanent Secretary.
“We are at an advanced stage of engagement with the Lagos State Government and Taraba State Government, while discussions with a number of other States are progressing,” Faleye said, adding that partnerships with several Federal MDAs and regional organisations are also being strengthened to deepen coverage of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme, especially for workers in the informal and emerging economies.
“After two years, I believe it is fair to say that NSITF is no longer where it was when this Management assumed office. The digital transformation has begun. The organisational structure is being progressively reconfigured. The top-heavy management structure is being addressed,” he said.
Faleye however admitted that the Fund is still a work in progress, with much work to be done in expanding coverage to the informal workforce, strengthening compliance, improving data and digital integration, and enhancing claims administration.
In his response, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr. Kamil Shoretire, commended the management of the NSITF for the bold reforms and visible improvements in the Fund and pledged the ministry’s continued support to strengthen the nation’s social security system.
He called on Management of the Fund to collaborate with sister agencies in a bid to include the informal sector into the coverage of ECS.
More importantly, he said the Fund should engage in preventive programmes for safety in workplaces.