NSITF spends N4b on injured employees compensation, says GM

NSITF spends N4b on injured employees compensation, says GM

The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, (NSITF) has spent over N4 billion as compensation for employees who sustained injuries at their various workplaces since inception.

The Fund’s General Manager, Health, Safety and Environment, Dr Kelly Nwagha, stated this during its Occupational Safety and Health sensitisation for employers from Northwest and Northeast zones in Kano.

Nwagha said the funds were given out as succour to the victims (employees) through their employers for their treatment.

He further noted that a lot of employers were not aware of the scheme hence the need for the sensitisation to extend the schemes to the employers (unregistered employers) to key in and tap from the benefits available under the scheme.

He said: “Since inception, we have so far spent not less than N4 billion in paying compensation to injured employees through their employers. And we have been constantly paying compensation to the injured employees. This is done at zero cost to the employees and employers. Because the employers pay a premium of one per cent of the total salary of the entire workforce on behalf of the employees and they would not deduct it from the salary of the employees.

“It is a pull of funds that we all contribute. And so we keep it as a trust for the employees and employers, not the government. It is not a case of tax.

“So far, we have more than 100 employers of labour all over the federation. And the number is increasing.

“The main challenge is the inability of employers to understand what they stand to benefit from the employee’s compensation scheme of NSITF.

“The programmed is organised with the goal to sensitise selected employers within Northeast and Northwest zones on how prevention of workplace accidents and promotion of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) can enhance their productivity and improve their bottom line.

“The programme is extended to include the unregistered employers within the zone because we do not want any employers to miss out on the enshrined benefits of the Employees Compensation scheme.

“So, this programme we are carrying out here is part of the processes to let the employers of labour know the benefits when they enroll their employees in the scheme. Because that would lead to improvement in morale and productivity of the employees as well as an increase in revenue of the employers. When there is more money to the employer, staff welfare will improve, there will be more employments which will reduce crimes and other social vices in the country,” Nwagha said.

Earlier, the Fund’s Senior Manager, Susan Osuhor, said lack of OSH awareness in workplaces is responsible for the high rate of workplaces injuries, diseases and death, stressing the need for the good safety to ensure safety.

Osuhor maintained that a safe workplace guarantees high productivity and efficiency as it will save hours that will be lost treatment of injured employees.