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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has urged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to lead efforts to expand the legal framework for workplace protection and social security to cover workers in the informal sector, as well as gig and platform workers.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive of NSITF, Mr Oluseun Faleye, made the call at the 66th Annual General Conference of the NBA in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Faleye, who was represented by the General Manager, Abuja Region of the Fund, Mrs Bridget Ashang, spoke on the theme, “Beyond Limits: Expanding the Legal Frontiers of Workplace Protection and Social Security in Nigeria.”
He said Nigeria’s changing labour environment required the law to move beyond its traditional focus on formal employment and recognise workers operating outside conventional employment arrangements.
According to him, social security, as defined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), provides access to healthcare and income security in situations including old age, unemployment, sickness, employment injury, maternity and the loss of a breadwinner.
Faleye described social security as a matter of social justice rather than charity, stressing that the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS) was established to ensure that workers affected by employment-related injuries are not left without support.
The MD said the scheme helps reduce employers’ liabilities, supports workers’ recovery, ensures income continuity and protects productivity, while also contributing to improved occupational health and safety standards.
He noted that the ILO’s Social Security Convention No. 102 identifies nine branches of social security, including medical care, sickness, unemployment, old age, employment injury, family, maternity, invalidity and survivors’ benefits.
However, he said Nigeria’s existing legal framework still largely focuses on the formal sector, creating gaps in protection for workers operating in the informal economy and emerging forms of employment.
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To address the gaps, Faleye called on the NBA to raise awareness and build knowledge around workplace protection and social security, while playing stronger advocacy and advisory roles on labour reforms.
He also urged lawyers to explore corporate audits and test-case litigation aimed at expanding the legal definitions of “employee,” “employer” and “workplace” to reflect the changing nature of work.
The NSITF boss further called for amendments to existing labour laws to accommodate informal workers, gig workers and platform workers, as well as consideration of platform liability in employment-related matters.
He urged the NBA to support the ratification and domestication of relevant ILO conventions, saying international standards could provide minimum benchmarks for social protection and help build confidence within the labour ecosystem.
Faleye also called for greater attention to inclusiveness when drafting laws establishing public institutions and organisations, stressing that no category of workers should be left outside the protection of the law. He said expanding workplace protection would help ensure that the dignity of workers is recognised regardless of the nature of their employment.
“Social security is how we honour that sweat. It is how we say: Your work has dignity and your life has value,” Faleye stated.
He urged the NBA and other stakeholders to work with the NSITF to strengthen the legal and institutional framework for social protection in Nigeria.
“Without the law, the Fund is silent. Without the Fund, the law is empty. Together, we can write a new social contract for Nigerian workers,” he said.
Faleye warned that failure to close existing legal gaps could leave significant numbers of workers excluded from workplace protection, urging the NBA to deploy the law as an instrument of social change.
The call came as thousands of lawyers gathered in Port Harcourt for the week-long 66th Annual General Conference of the NBA, where labour reforms and other legal and policy issues are expected to feature prominently in discussions.
