The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Oluwaseun Faleye, on Thursday met with Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, in Jalingo to press for stricter enforcement of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS) across the state’s public institutions and contracting processes.
The meeting, held at the Government House on February 26, 2026, focused on expanding compliance with the ECS among state Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as private contractors executing public projects.
Faleye told the governor that compliance with the scheme goes beyond statutory formality, describing it as a critical social protection mechanism for workers injured, disabled or killed in the course of duty.
“When a worker is injured, disabled, or loses his life in the course of duty, the response of government defines public trust,” he said.
He urged the Taraba State Government to move from policy alignment to concrete, measurable action, proposing a structured implementation roadmap within weeks.
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Among the measures proposed was the integration of an ECS Compliance Certificate into the state’s procurement framework. Under the proposal, companies bidding for government contracts, seeking project pre-qualification, renewing contractor registration, or entering public-private partnerships would be required to show proof of NSITF compliance.
Faleye clarified that the requirement would not impose new legal burdens but would enforce existing statutory obligations, ensuring that firms benefiting from public funds also meet worker protection standards.
He also called for the designation of a focal ministry or official to coordinate directly with the Fund and announced that the NSITF had established an internal Strategic Inter-Agency Coordination framework to monitor timelines and deliverables arising from such engagements.
He said the, stronger ECS enforcement would reduce litigation exposure for employers, promote industrial harmony, and reinforce institutional accountability in governance.
In response, Governor Kefas expressed readiness to align the state fully with the scheme, pledging to work through the Office of the Head of Service, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Local Government to ensure implementation.
The governor highlighted his administration’s recent welfare interventions, stating that Taraba had paid ₦5 billion to pensioners and was working to clear outstanding entitlements before year-end.
He further approved the constitution of a committee to interface with the NSITF and drive compliance efforts.
Faleye formally conferred on Kefas the title of Ambassador and Advocate of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme in Taraba and the Northeast, signalling what both sides described as a strategic collaboration to institutionalise structured social protection across the state.
The engagement marks a renewed push by the NSITF to secure stronger subnational enforcement of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme amid concerns over low compliance levels among public and private sector employers nationwide.
