The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has moved away from largely manual operations towards a more digital system in the two years since the current management took over, while also restructuring its workforce and expanding coverage for workers.
Managing Director of the Fund, Oluwaseun Faleye, said this on Monday, September 21, 2026, when he received the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr Kamil Shoretire, on a familiarisation visit to the NSITF headquarters in Abuja.
Faleye said the management met an institution in July 2024 with heavy reliance on manual processes, a top-heavy structure, career stagnation and gaps in the deployment of staff and resources.
He said management began by carrying out a comprehensive staff audit to determine the Fund’s workforce and organisational needs.
“One of the first things we did was to undertake a comprehensive staff audit and provide an objective assessment of our workforce structure and organisational needs,” Faleye said.
The audit recommendations are being implemented in phases, while the Fund has also started replacing manual processes with integrated digital systems.
Faleye said management introduced a Voluntary Exit Exercise to address structural imbalances and create more room for career progression.
He also highlighted changes to the Fund’s offices and working tools. The Operations Directorate has been moved to the Mukhtar El-Yakub Building, while branches across the country are being renovated. Offices operating under branch-in-branch arrangements are also being provided with dedicated spaces.
Furniture, ICT equipment, printers and transportation facilities are being provided in phases, he said, alongside training for staff.
Faleye said the changes were also beginning to show in the Fund’s coverage under the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS).
He disclosed that treasury-funded Ministries, Departments and Agencies had been onboarded, with five beneficiaries recently receiving compensation at an event witnessed by the Permanent Secretary.
He said talks with the Lagos and Taraba state governments were at an advanced stage, while discussions with other states were ongoing.
According to him, the Fund is also strengthening partnerships with federal agencies and regional organisations to extend ECS coverage, particularly to workers in the informal and emerging sectors.
“After two years, I believe it is fair to say that NSITF is no longer where it was when this Management assumed office. The digital transformation has begun. The organisational structure is being progressively reconfigured. The top-heavy management structure is being addressed,” he said.
Faleye acknowledged that the work was not finished, identifying informal sector coverage, compliance, data and digital integration, and claims administration as areas requiring further attention.
He described the Ministry of Labour and Employment as a strategic partner in strengthening Nigeria’s social protection system and called for closer collaboration to sustain the reforms.
“Our commitment is to continue to leave no stone unturned in building an NSITF that is transformed, efficient, effective, accountable and transparent; an institution that workers can trust, employers can engage with confidently, and the Government can rely upon to deliver,” he said.
Faleye also restated his commitment to leaving the Fund better than he met it.
“I have repeatedly assured the staff of NSITF that I will leave the Fund better than I met it. That remains my commitment,” he said.
Responding, Shoretire commended the NSITF management for the changes recorded and pledged the ministry’s continued support.
He urged the Fund to work with sister agencies to extend ECS coverage to the informal sector and put greater emphasis on preventing workplace accidents.
Shoretire also called for cooperation between the NSITF management and its governing board to ensure the smooth running of the Fund.
