—Faleye addresses compliance, payroll transparency under the ECA

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA — THE Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) will headline a special session at this month’s Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference, focusing on expanding legal protections for workers and strengthening Nigeria’s social security framework.

Mr. Oluwaseun Faleye, Managing Director/Chief Executive of NSITF, will lead the session at the NBA-AGC taking place in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, from 21 to 28 August 2026.

Building on last year’s focus on raising awareness of the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA) 2010, this year’s NSITF session explores the theme “Expanding the Legal Frontiers of Workplace Protection and Social Security Beyond Limits in Nigeria.”

The 2026 initiative aims to shift from awareness-raising to tangible results: strengthening implementation, ensuring employer compliance, and enhancing strategies to deliver workplace protections for all Nigerian workers, across sectors and income levels.

Faleye, is expected to outline NSITF’s current drive to expand coverage and deepen collaboration with the judiciary and NBA to enforce the provisions of the Act.

The Port Harcourt session is expected to examine judicial perspectives on compliance, with particular focus on the legal implications of payroll under-declaration.

Discussions will also centre on transparency in employer obligations and how the legal community can help bridge the gap between policy and practice to ensure more workers can access compensation benefits.

The ECA 2010, administered by NSITF through the Employees’ Compensation Scheme, ECS, provides compensation, medical care and rehabilitation for workers who suffer workplace injuries, occupational diseases, or death in the course of employment.

Despite its progressive provisions, NSITF has noted that major gaps persist around awareness, understanding of rights and obligations, and enforcement.

The Fund has also flagged under-declaration or outright exclusion of employees from employer payrolls as a critical issue limiting workers’ access to benefits.

The NSITF has noted that “Legal practitioners play a crucial role as stakeholders in promoting statutory obligations, advocating for employees, and supporting enforcement of the Act”.

The NBA Annual General Conference is the largest gathering of legal professionals in Nigeria and this year’s edition in Port Harcourt is expected to attract thousands of lawyers, judges, and policymakers to debate national issues around law, governance and social justice.

The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund is the agency saddled with administering the Employees’ Compensation Scheme under the Employees’ Compensation Act 2010, providing social protection for workers in both public and private sectors.