Sam Adah
The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has called for stronger judicial enforcement of workers’ compensation rights, stressing that justice can only be achieved when legitimate claims are fairly determined and court judgments effectively enforced.
The Fund said effective implementation of the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA) 2010 requires proper interpretation of its provisions, timely resolution of disputes and enforcement of lawful decisions to ensure that workers affected by workplace injuries, disabilities and occupational diseases receive the protection guaranteed by law.
The NSITF Managing Director and Chief Executive, Oluwaseun Faleye, made the call at the opening of the Fund’s 2026 Legal Stakeholders’ Engagement in Abuja on Friday in the engagement themed, “Enhancing Judicial Interpretation, Adjudication and Enforcement under the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA), 2010.”
Faleye explained that while the previous edition focused on strengthening collaboration for the sustainable administration of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme, this year’s engagement was aimed at ensuring that statutory protections translate into practical justice for Nigerian workers.
He noted that the existence of a legal framework did not automatically guarantee the protection of workers unless its provisions were properly interpreted and implemented.
“Does the law provide a framework for protection? Yes. Does the Employees’ Compensation Act establish a system for compensation for work-related injury, disease, disability or death? Yes. But the existence of a law does not by itself guarantee that its promise will be fulfilled,” he said.
According to him, the effectiveness of the Act depends on three critical factors: proper interpretation of its provisions, fair and timely adjudication of disputes, and effective enforcement of judicial decisions.
He highlighted the strategic role of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in advancing labour justice, noting that its interpretation of the Act would influence the understanding of employers’ and employees’ rights beyond individual cases and provide guidance for resolving future disputes.
The NSITF chief executive said workers must have confidence that genuine compensation claims would receive appropriate attention, while employers should operate within a predictable legal environment where their obligations are fairly determined.
He assured that the Fund would continue to strengthen its administrative processes, improve claims management and expand public awareness of the scheme, while encouraging employers to fulfil their statutory obligations.
Faleye urged participants to ensure that the engagement produced practical recommendations capable of improving institutional cooperation, addressing legal uncertainties, reducing avoidable disputes and strengthening compliance with the Employees’ Compensation Scheme.
“The value of a stakeholder engagement lies not merely in the quality of speeches delivered but in the clarity of understanding it produces and the improvements that follow,” he said.
He expressed hope that the deliberations would strengthen the rule of law and ensure that the protection guaranteed under the law became a reality for Nigerian workers.
In his goodwill message, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi, said the strength of a nation depended not only on the laws it enacted but also on how they were implemented and the integrity of institutions responsible for their administration.
Citing the late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa’s famous assertion that “the judiciary is the last hope of the common man,” Dingyadi stressed the need to preserve public confidence in the justice system through fairness, integrity and responsible public service.
“The credibility of our institutions is strengthened not by words alone, but by the quality and integrity of their actions,” the minister said.
He commended the NSITF for organising the engagement, describing it as an important step towards strengthening the implementation of the Employees’ Compensation Act 2010.
Also speaking, the President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Justice Benedict Kanyip, who delivered the keynote address, called for stronger institutional collaboration to ensure that the benefits of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme reached the workers for whom it was established.
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