• NSITF Pays N546m to Work Place Victims

The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has so far paid over half a billion naira as compensation to victims of work place accident under the Employee Compensation Scheme since it’s inception.

Managing Directorof the Fund, Adebayo Somefun, who stated this at the NSITFspecial day at the Abuja Trade fair, said a total of N545 million has so far been paid out by the fund.

This include N202.9 million as Health Medical Refund, N261 Million paid as Death Benefit, N74 million as Disability Benefit and N8 million paid to employers for Loss of Productivity for employers (amongst others).

He said the ECS basically provides social security for employees who sustain injuries in the course of employment or their dependants in the case of death: it further encourages occupational safety and health standards in the workplace.

He listed the contingencies covered by this unique scheme to include compensation for injuries, mental stress, occupational diseases, hearing impairment, permanent or temporary disability and even vocational rehabilitation as well as covering for benefits of deceased employees whose families’ fortunes are upheld even after the passing away of their bread winners.

He stressed that all these have served as massive incentives for enhanced productivity and economic development as Nigerian workers are assured of a guaranteed livelihood.

Speaking on the achievement of fund since it was established, Somefun said “as a Fund, NSITF has been making giant strides and in the last one year alone, the Fund has paid for 42 artificial limbs/parts to cater for workers who lost their limbs etc, while carrying out their duties at work. It would interest you to know that the 42 beneficiaries of the artificial limbs/parts are currently being fitted and trained on how to move on with their lives as we speak.

“However, it is not only about the limbs, the Employees’ Compensation Scheme provides for other categories of benefits. Between January 2017 and June 2013, the Fund has paid N835, 318, 858, 62Kobo to beneficiaries as claims and compensation”

“This is to say that those who have benefitted from this special scheme run by the Fund include 298 injured employees placed on monthly or periodic payment. Those on periodic payments are employees still in their productive years of 55 and below who are no longer functioning effectively because of workplace/related injuries. Twenty (20) persons above the age of 55 years have been paid lump sums on a once-off basis.

“In order to cushion the burden on families of deceased employees who died in the course of work, the Fund has paid forty-one (41) lump sums for accidents/diseases resulting in death of the employees and is currently paying 226 families monthly benefits, one of which receives N1.5 Million monthly.”

He said further that to access these benefits, the employer – government or private/individual is required to pay onIy one percent (1%) of total payroll of the employees to the NSITF, and this is at no cost to the employee! Once that is done, it becomes the duty of NSITF to carry the burden which otherwise would have gone to the employer where there is a workplace injury, death or disability.

He sais “the beauty of the scheme is that it is a “no-fault” scheme, and covers all categories of workers in every sector of employment. As the law enabling the scheme stipulates, every organisation that employs even one worker is under statutory obligation to register for the ECS: these include domestic staff. It also emphasises that failure to do so amounts to a breach of the law.

“According to Section 73 of the EEA; “an employee means “a person employed by an employer under oral or written contract of employment whether on continuous part-time, temporary, apprenticeship or casual basis and includes a domestic servant who is not a member of the family of the employer including any person employed in the Federal, State and local governments and any of the government agencies and in the formal and informal sectors of the economy.

“While I reiterate that every Nigerian worker deserves the best and must be made to have a sense of value, let me state that when a worker knows that his future is secured in the case of injury while performing his functions, he/she has a deeper sense of commitment to the employer.

“To make the process of keying into the scheme easier, the Fund has introduced a digital platform that is called Electronic Collection, Compliance and Compensation (EC4), to galvanise enforcement compliance, claims and compensation activities as well as the overall operations at the Fund. This enables employers to easily register, pay contributions, access their ECS status and make claims, all online and in real time from the comfort of their offices/ homes.”

He expressed confidence that with its track record of successes in managing social security schemes since its establishment, the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund is poised to undertake its mandate with impeccable responsibility. It is on this premise that we, not only celebrate the success story at the Employees’ Compensation Scheme, but urge and spur all employers to step forward and ensure the welfare of their employees.