The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, held the first leg of the 2025 SAFE Workplace Intervention Project (SWIP) Interactive Enlightenment Forum and Awards Ceremony at the NECA House Auditorium in Lagos, urging employers to strengthen compliance with the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA) 2010 to safeguard workers and enhance productivity.
The forum brought together government officials, employers, workers’ representatives, and development partners, with a focus on raising awareness, deepening compliance with occupational safety and health standards, and promoting collaboration among stakeholders. Speakers emphasised that workplace safety remains central to social protection, business sustainability, and national economic growth.
Welcoming participants, the President and Chairman of the NECA Governing Council, Dr. Ifeanyi Okoye, represented by the Secretary General of the International Chambers of Commerce, Nigeria, Ms. Olubunmi Osuntuyi, said the SAFE Workplace Initiative Project was a long-standing partnership between NECA and NSITF that had delivered tangible benefits to workers nationwide.
Ms. Osuntuyi said the Lagos event marked the first phase of a nationwide programme, noting that similar interactive enlightenment sessions would be held in Enugu on January 22, 2026, and Abuja on January 27, 2026. According to her, the geographical spread reflects a deliberate effort to ensure employers across all zones are enlightened and supported to achieve compliance and improve workplace safety outcomes.
She explained that the SAFE Workplace Engagement Programme (SWEP) was designed as a learning and improvement platform rather than a purely enforcement-driven initiative. The programme, she said, helps employers understand their legal obligations, appreciate the benefits of compliance, and adopt proactive occupational safety and health practices. She added that the interactive sessions and awards were deliberate interventions to recognise organisations with a strong commitment to workplace safety, while also creating space for open dialogue on challenges in implementing the ECA 2010.
In his opening remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of NSITF, Barr. Oluwaseun M. Faleye, described the event as critical to Nigeria’s labour and employment ecosystem, explaining that Lagos was chosen as the first leg because of its commercial and industrial significance.
Barr. Faleye said the forum was intended to drive awareness, strengthen compliance, and foster collaboration around occupational safety and health, stressing that economic growth should never come at the expense of worker safety. He said the engagement underscored a shared commitment to safer and more productive workplaces, and commended NECA and organised labour for their sustained advocacy on employer compliance.
He also acknowledged the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, organised labour, and the International Labour Organization for their continued support. According to him, the core principle of the Employees’ Compensation Act is that every worker matters and that no job is worth a life. He urged employers to see compliance with workplace safety requirements as a strategic business decision, rather than merely a regulatory obligation.
Delivering a goodwill message, the Honourable Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Hon. Barr. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, said the ministry plays a critical role because of its direct impact on humanity. She stressed that productivity must never be built on unsafe working conditions, and described the Employees’ Compensation Act as a key instrument for protecting Nigerian workers.
Hon. Onyejeocha said the Act guarantees compensation for workers who suffer injuries, diseases, or disabilities arising from their jobs, adding that safe workplaces must be mandatory, not optional. She commended NSITF for its role in representing workers and supporting government programmes, while reaffirming the administration’s commitment to occupational safety and health, enforcement of labour laws, and nationwide workplace inspections.
She urged employers to comply fully with the provisions of the ECA through proper registration, timely remittance of contributions, and continuous investment in safety systems, while encouraging workers to exercise their rights responsibly. She congratulated organisations recognised at the event and called for collective responsibility in building safe, productive, and sustainable workplaces in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Director General of NECA, Mr. Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, said competitiveness and compliance must be considered together, noting that NECA’s mandate extends beyond profit-making to national development. He recalled that NECA received an award from the Presidential Business Council in November, presented by the Vice President, in recognition of its advocacy and collaboration, which he described as symbolic of NECA’s contribution to broader development goals.
In a presentation titled “Employees’ Compensation Act 2010: The Journey So Far” the Executive Director, Operations, NSITF, Ms. Mojisola Alli Macaulay. She explained that the Act mandates all employers in Nigeria to cover their employees under the Employees’ Compensation Scheme, which replaced the former Workmen’s Compensation Act.
Ms. Macaulay said the scheme applies to both public- and private-sector employers, with the exception of members of the armed forces. Contributions, she noted, are set at one per cent of total monthly emoluments and are paid solely by employers, who are prohibited from deducting any amount from employees for the scheme.
She said NSITF currently administers the scheme nationwide, promoting occupational safety and health, as well as rehabilitation and vocational resettlement for injured workers. She disclosed that more than 197,900 employers and over 7.7 million employees have been registered, with occupational safety and health audits conducted in thousands of workplaces, and compensation paid for medical expenses, disabilities, deaths, and loss of productivity.
Ms. Macaulay identified challenges including poor employer compliance, delayed reporting of workplace injuries, and low public awareness. She added that NSITF plans to intensify advocacy, improve claims processing timelines, and expand workplace incentive programmes through sustained collaboration with stakeholders.
The event also featured the presentation of awards to organisations audited in the South-West for workplace safety performance. International Breweries Plc, Ogun State, won the Outstanding Workplace Safety Compliance award, while Bristow Helicopters Nigeria Limited received the Best Safety Innovation award. Guinness Nigeria Plc emerged winner in Environmental Sustainability and Environmental Management Excellence, while British American Tobacco Plc, Oyo State, won the Zero Accident Achievement category.
For the Occupational Safety and Health Infrastructure Award, winners included International Breweries Plc, Ogun State; Bristow Helicopters Limited, Lagos State; Guinness Nigeria Plc; Dangote Salt Plc, Lagos State; and British American Tobacco Plc, Oyo State. Chi/Hollandia Limited and Nigerian Breweries Plc were recognised for Exceptional Safety Caution in the South-West, with each organisation receiving an ambulance.
The forum concluded with a call on employers, employees, and government to treat workplace safety as a shared responsibility and to work collaboratively to build a safer, healthier, and more secure workforce in Nigeria.
