The Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Barrister Oluwaseun Faleye, has called for a nationwide shift from mere compliance with safety regulations to the entrenchment of a sustainable workplace safety culture across Nigerian industries.
Faleye made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the NSITF–Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) Safe Workplace Intervention Project (SWIP) Abuja Mega Awards Ceremony, which marked the grand finale of the 2025 SWIP programme.
He described the Abuja event as a “homecoming of safety” following a 12-day nationwide SWIP tour that began at the NSITF headquarters and covered major industrial hubs, including Lagos and Enugu.
According to him, the initiative symbolises Nigeria’s transition from reacting to workplace accidents to proactively preventing them, while recognising organisations that have prioritised worker protection as a core business value.
“A safe workplace is an efficient workplace, and a protected worker is a productive worker,” Faleye said, describing SWIP as a strategic partnership between NSITF, as regulator, and NECA, as operator.
He highlighted a policy shift within the agency from what he termed “reactive compensation” to “proactive prevention,” stressing that preventing accidents is far more beneficial than paying compensation after harm has occurred. Faleye emphasised that training, access to information and sustained safety awareness are critical to transforming safety from a checklist into a habit embedded in organisational culture.
Congratulating the award recipients, he urged them to see the recognition not as an endpoint but as a responsibility to serve as safety ambassadors within their respective sectors.
In her remarks, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting Nigerian workers, declaring that workplace safety is a legal obligation and not optional for employers.
She highlighted the economic importance of the North, noting the prevalence of high-risk sectors such as mining, construction, manufacturing and agro-processing, and stressed that safety in these workplaces must be treated as a responsibility rather than a choice.
While acknowledging the Employees’ Compensation Act of 2010 as a robust framework for supporting injured workers, Onyejeocha emphasised that compensation alone is insufficient. According to her, the government’s priority is prevention, insisting that workers should not have to suffer injury or death before action is taken.
She described SWIP as a practical platform that brings employers, regulators and workers together to identify risks, build capacity and prevent workplace accidents.
The minister issued a stern warning to employers who disregard occupational safety laws, stating that the government would no longer tolerate practices that endanger lives in the name of productivity. She said violators would face sanctions and prosecution, including manslaughter charges where negligence results in death.
A total of 32 organisations received awards in various categories at the event for adopting healthy safety practices in their workplaces. The awards included plaques, safety gear and ambulances.
