By David Okoh.
A two-day retreat organized by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) to collaborate with the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Labour and Employment has concluded in Lagos. The main focus of the retreat was to discuss ways to reform the NSITF for improved service delivery.
During the retreat, the new Managing Director of the NSITF, Oluwaseun Faleye, presented a strategic roadmap for the agency’s future. The roadmap consists of key objectives such as strengthening governance, improving service delivery, increasing coverage of beneficiaries, adapting benefits and services to meet changing needs, and refining investment strategies.
Members of both the Senate and House Committees provided valuable input during the discussions. They emphasized the importance of bringing all public sector employees under the Employee Compensation Scheme and urged the management of the Fund to engage with relevant agencies to ensure timely deductions and remittances. Another key issue addressed was the classification of NSITF as a revenue-generating agency, which was deemed inappropriate.
The retreat concluded with a resolution to strengthen collaboration between the NSITF and the National Assembly to ensure the agency fulfills its mandate of providing a social safety net for Nigerian workers. Committee members expressed confidence in the new leadership of the NSITF and pledged to support the agency’s growth and success.
In response to the success of the retreat, Senator Diket Plang and Hon. Adegboyaga Adefarati of the Senate and House Committees on Labour and Employment respectively, expressed optimism about the future of NSITF under the new management. They both highlighted the importance of supporting the agency in achieving its goals and serving the Nigerian workforce effectively.