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…As NSITF urges employers to comply
From Bimbola Oyesola,
The Federal Government has said the Safe Workplace Intervention Project (SWIP) is a collaborative occupational health and safety initiative designed to enhance workplace safety across Nigeria through structured audits, engagement and recognition.
Commending the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and the Nigerian Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) at the Lagos Stakeholders’ Interactive Enlightenment Forum and Awards Ceremony of the NSITF-NECA Safe Workplace Intervention Project (SWIP) 2025, held at NECA House in Lagos, on their joint efforts at sustaining safety in the workplace through SWIP, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi said the occupational health and safety is everyone’s responsibility, adding that the ministry cannot do it alone.
He described SWIP as a model of effective collaboration between government and the private sector.
However both NSITF NECA have urged employers to see workplace safety as a strategic business decision that safeguards human capital, reduces operational risk, and enhances organisational reputation.
They said the culture of occupational safety and health for workers is no longer optional but a human rights issue.
The Managing Director/CEO of NSITF, Barr Oluwaseun Faleye said no job is worth a life, and no organisation can sustainably thrive when safety is treated as an afterthought.
Speaking on the theme of the program: ‘Enhancing Workplace Safety, Strengthening Compliance, Celebrating Excellence’, he said:
“The theme captures the full spectrum of our engagement today. Compliance must be seen not as a regulatory obligation alone, but as a strategic business decision that safeguards human capital, reduces operational risk, and enhances organisational reputation”.
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He said SWIP has, over the years, evolved into a strategic platform for driving awareness, strengthening compliance, and fostering collaboration around occupational safety and health.
The forum, according to him, represents a critical interface between policy, practice, and performance, where employers, workers, regulators, and partners engage constructively on how to build safer and more productive workplaces.
“Today’s gathering is not merely an information session; it is a shared commitment. It reflects our collective resolve to ensure that economic growth does not come at the expense of worker safety, and that productivity is anchored on environments that protect lives, dignity, and livelihoods,” he said.
On the award, Faleye said: “Today, we also take time to celebrate organisations that have distinguished themselves through demonstrable commitment to occupational safety and health.
“These awards are not just acknowledgements; they are benchmarks. They signal that compliance is achievable, that safety delivers value, and that excellence in worker protection deserves recognition”.
To employers who are yet to fully align with the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS), Faleye said the forum offers an opportunity to engage, ask questions, and partner.
The Director General, NECA, Mr Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde said safety in working place should be taking as fundamental issue and core responsibilities of the employers.
He said while employers are pursuing maximum or optimum profit, safety of their workers should also be priorities.
He described workplace safety as a life-and-death matter that is still treated with dangerous nonchalance by both employers and employees, despite its far-reaching consequences.
On the award, he expressed confidence that the initiative would not only reward excellence but also reset the national conversation on workplace safety
He explained that the Lagos award will be followed by Enugu, and the grand finale in Abuja on January 27.
