The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) have announced a nationwide initiative to reward organisations that demonstrate strong commitment to workplace safety, as part of efforts to improve occupational health and safety standards across Nigeria.
The initiative, which targets employers in both the public and private sectors, is being implemented through the Safe Workplace Intervention Project (SWIP). It will involve audits of companies across the six geopolitical zones, after which outstanding performers will be recognised.
Speaking on Friday in Abuja at the SWIP 2025 interactive and enlightenment forum and award ceremony, the Director-General of NECA, Mr. Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, said the programme was designed to encourage voluntary compliance with safety standards, reduce workplace accidents, and align Nigeria with global labour practices.
Mr. Oyerinde disclosed that more than 200 companies had already been audited nationwide for the awards. He said organisations that demonstrate excellence in occupational health and safety (OSH) would receive ambulances and other safety equipment as incentives.
According to him, rewarding compliant employers would reduce over-reliance on enforcement and penalties, while helping to entrench a positive safety culture across workplaces.
He added that occupational health and safety had recently been recognised as a core convention of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), making it binding on member states. Mr. Oyerinde noted that workplace safety was increasingly being viewed as a human rights issue, reflecting evolving global labour standards.
He further observed that emerging realities such as artificial intelligence and remote work made it necessary to rethink traditional workplace safety frameworks.
The NECA Director-General commended the leadership of the NSITF for sustaining collaboration under SWIP and assured that NECA would continue to partner with the Fund to address emerging risks and promote international best practices in Nigeria.
Also speaking at the event, the Managing Director of the NSITF, Mr. Oluwaseun Faleye, said the Employee Compensation Act (ECA) provided a strong legal framework for addressing workplace injuries, rehabilitation, and compensation, but required active stakeholder engagement to be effective.
He explained that through proper insurance management, employers reduce litigation risks, workers enjoy guaranteed protection, and the government ensures compliance with international standards.
Mr. Faleye said the SWIP initiative promotes voluntary compliance by helping employers understand the practical benefits of safety measures beyond enforcement. He called on the media to support the project through sustained public enlightenment, noting that increased awareness of ECA compliance would strengthen Nigeria’s labour ecosystem.
He added that SWIP activities would commence in Lagos on January 20, move to Enugu on January 22, and conclude with a grand finale in Abuja on January 27.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr. Salihu Usman, commended NECA and NSITF for sustaining the SWIP initiative. Represented by Mrs. Florence Owie, Director of Occupational Safety and Health at the ministry, Dr. Usman said the project had strengthened OSH outcomes through effective public-private collaboration.
He noted that this year’s SWIP audits covered over 200 workplaces across the six geopolitical zones, with technical support from the ministry’s OSH Department. According to him, transparency, capacity building, digital audit reporting, monitoring and evaluation, and structured feedback are critical to improving workplace safety and health outcomes.
Dr. Usman added that recognising top-performing organisations encourages peer learning, healthy competition, and continuous improvement among employers.
“Workplace safety remains critical to productivity, decent work, and sustainable national development,” he said, noting that SWIP supports the effective implementation of the Employee
