By Chinedu Echianu
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, has commended the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Oluwaseun Faleye, for the reforms and digital transformation initiatives introduced at the agency.
The minister gave the commendation when Faleye led a delegation from the Board of the Industrial Injuries Compensation Fund of The Gambia’s Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC) on a courtesy visit to the ministry in Abuja on Monday.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Kamil Shoretire, Dingyadi expressed delight at the visit by the Gambian delegation, describing it as an opportunity for both countries to deepen cooperation in the administration of workers’ compensation and social security.
He praised the progress recorded under Faleye’s leadership, particularly in the administration of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS).
“Our compensation mechanism has improved significantly, with increased digitisation ensuring that claims are processed more quickly. A great deal of transformation is also taking place at the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund,” the minister said.
Dingyadi noted that collaboration between the NSITF and The Gambia’s SSHFC would strengthen social protection systems in both countries through the exchange of ideas and best practices.
“It is important that our two countries continue to exchange ideas on improving the lives of our citizens, particularly workers, while strengthening government’s capacity to meet the needs of the wider population,” he said.
The minister added that Nigeria remained committed to continuous improvement in its social insurance system and was equally willing to learn from The Gambia’s experience.
“Our own reforms are still a work in progress. We have not reached where we want to be, and we also want to learn from what The Gambia has achieved so that we can adopt best practices that will further strengthen our fund,” he said.
Responding, the NSITF Managing Director thanked the minister for receiving the delegation and reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to strengthening partnerships across Africa.
Faleye said Nigeria and The Gambia shared similar demographic and labour market characteristics, making collaboration essential in addressing common social security challenges.
“This exchange of ideas has been in the making for a long time. When we received the request from the Gambian Social Security Institution to visit Nigeria, we readily accepted because our countries share similar demographics, labour market realities and social protection challenges,” he said.
According to him, officials from both organisations had already commenced detailed technical sessions covering the day-to-day administration of compensation services and other operational issues.
He explained that the study tour was not intended as a one-sided learning exercise but as an opportunity for both institutions to exchange experiences and improve their respective operations.
Faleye recalled that officials from The Gambia had participated in the International Social Security Association (ISSA) workshop hosted by the NSITF in April alongside delegates from Cape Verde, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and other West African countries.
He said the current study visit was a follow-up to that engagement and was aimed at giving the Gambian team a closer understanding of how the NSITF delivers its mandate.
Speaking on behalf of the Gambian delegation, the Chairman of the Industrial Injuries Compensation Fund Board, Pierre Gomez, expressed satisfaction with the reforms implemented by the NSITF since his last visit to Nigeria about a decade ago.
“Nigeria is our big brother, and that is why we have returned for knowledge sharing. I am impressed by the transformation I have seen so far. We will take these experiences back home and share them with our colleagues to strengthen our own institution,” Gomez said.
Earlier, while receiving the delegation at the NSITF headquarters, Faleye underscored the importance of regional cooperation in promoting workplace safety and protecting workers across Africa.
“It is important that we continue to share ideas on workplace safety, occupational hazards and the protection of workers. On behalf of the NSITF Board, it is our honour and privilege to welcome you to Nigeria,” he said.
