The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has restored mobility to 78 workers who sustained disabilities as a result ofworkplace accidents by providing free prosthetic limbs and rehabilitation support under its Employees’ Compensation Scheme.
The intervention was announced on Tuesday in Abuja during the presentation of the final report on the latest phase of the Fund’s Prosthesis Provision Exercise.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of NSITF, Mr. Oluwaseun Faleye, who was represented by the Executive Director of Operations, Mrs. Mojisola Alli-Macaulay, said the initiative demonstrates the Fund’s commitment to helping injured workers regain their independence and improve their quality of life.
Faleye said beneficiaries underwent comprehensive assessments, were fitted with appropriate prostheses, received training on their use, and were discharged after meeting the required medical standards.
He commended the prosthesis providers, employers, beneficiaries, and the monitoring team for their contributions to the successful completion of the exercise.
“The cooperation and commitment demonstrated by prosthesis providers, beneficiaries, employers, and the monitoring team greatly contributed to the successful completion of this intervention,” he said.
Faleye added that some providers went beyond routine clinical care by addressing complex rehabilitation needs, including the production of a hip disarticulation prosthesis for a beneficiary requiring specialised support.
According to him, the Fund’s Claims and Compensation Department monitored the programme from its commencement in April until its completion to ensure full compliance with approved clinical and operational standards.
“I am pleased to report that the prosthesis provision exercise has been successfully concluded. Beneficiaries were assessed, fitted with appropriate prostheses, trained on their use, and discharged after satisfactory evaluation,” Faleye said.
He explained that beneficiaries who could not participate because they had died, could not be reached, or declined to attend after being notified were replaced with individuals on the supplementary list.
Providing a breakdown of the interventions, Faleye said the exercise delivered eight above-knee prostheses, one hip disarticulation prosthesis, 11 below-knee prostheses, 12 below-elbow prostheses, five above-elbow prostheses, one trans-humeral prosthesis, and 40 silicone partial hand prostheses.
He noted that the intervention brought the total number of beneficiaries successfully rehabilitated and discharged to 78.
Earlier, the General Manager, Claims and Compensation, Mrs. Nkiru Ede-Ogunnaike, said beneficiaries underwent comprehensive clinical assessments, measurements, prosthetic fabrication, fitting, functional training, evaluation, and final discharge.
“The prostheses were successfully fitted, and beneficiaries expressed satisfaction with the services rendered. Completion documents, warranties, and satisfaction forms have been duly completed and filed,” she said.
Ede-Ogunnaike said the programme had significantly improved beneficiaries’ mobility, functionality, and quality of life, while enabling the NSITF to fulfil its statutory mandate of providing rehabilitation support to employees injured in the course of their work.
She added that the intervention reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to supporting workers who sustain disabilities arising from workplace accidents across Nigeria.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr. Solomon Sunday, an employee of Zodoson Industries in Abia State, described the intervention as life-changing.
“Most of us became depressed after our accidents. Today, we have hope again because NSITF restored our confidence and gave us another opportunity to live normally,” he said.
Sunday thanked the Fund for providing prosthetic devices and vocational support, noting that the intervention had enabled many beneficiaries to rebuild their lives and return to productive employment.
“We are deeply grateful to NSITF. The Fund has changed our stories, restored our dignity, and given many of us the opportunity to learn skills and earn a living again,” he said.
