Why NPC Staff Should Be Enrolled on Employees’ Compensation Scheme of NSITF – Faleye

By Chinedu Echianu

As part of its ongoing sensitization and advocacy program to enlighten employers both in the public and private sector on the need to enroll their workers on the Employees’ Compensation Scheme of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Managing Director of the Fund, Barrister Oluwaseun Faleye, has expressed the need for partnership between the NSITF and the National Population Commission, (NPC) for mutually enhanced, and more effective service delivery.

A statement signed by Alexandra Mede, Deputy General Manager and Head Corporate Affairs Department, NSITF, revealed that the NSITF MD made this known at an engagement meeting between NSITF and NPC held at NPC’s national headquarters in Abuja Thursday.

Barrister Oluwaseun Faleye, who led the management team of the NSITF, said such partnership would mutually benefit both agencies and Nigerians at large while also listing areas of collaboration as demographic data sharing and alignment, social security for both permanent and ad-hoc workers of the NPC and training on risk assessment of workplace health and security.

While acknowledging the need for better sensitization and awareness of the mandate of the Fund, the NSITF boss stated that the engagement with NPC is a step in that direction, adding that the Fund has had similar engagements with the EFCC, ICPC amongst other agencies.

He emphasized the presence of the Fund in all 36 states of the Federation, with 62 branches under 13 regions, stressing that the sensitization is ongoing nationwide.

The MD of NSITF commiserated with the commission on the loss of two of it’s staff, who lost their lives during a census mapping exercise, while taking the opportunity to explain the benefits of enrolling into the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS), of the Fund.

Giving further insight on the ECS, and the need for NPC to comply, Faleye explained; “the scheme provides compensation for workplace related injuries, disabilities, diseases and deaths.

He stated that in case of death, the deceased worker’s dependants would be compensated with 90% monthly salary, as well as educating the children up to university level among other benefits.

Welcoming the NSITF team, the Director-General of the National Population Commission, Dr Ojogan Tellson Osifo, expressed readiness for collaborations with NSITF, while praising the NSITF MD, for initiating the talk and being personally present.

“We are not just doing direct projections, we look at a lot of issues to come up with projections.There is a lot we can do together.” the NPC boss stated, adding that the commission works assiduously to make demographic data available to the government.

The DG of NPC also revealed that the commission conducts demographic and health surveys and provides data for policy formulation and implementation. On partnership he said, “We can collaborate with you further and see areas where we can have insights to actually come up with more robust data to help Nigerians”.