NECA, MAN, NACCIMA Reject Senate’s Move to Take Over NSITF

The Organised Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN) has strongly opposed the Senate’s proposed amendment to the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Act, describing it as a dangerous bid to politicise and take control of workers’ social protection funds.

The OPSN—comprising the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Nigeria Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), and Nigeria Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI)—warned that the planned amendment threatens transparency, accountability, and the integrity of the Fund’s governance structure.

In a joint letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, signed by the Directors-General of the five member bodies, OPSN urged the Senate to suspend further action on the bill, which has already passed its second reading. They argued that the proposed changes would dismantle the NSITF’s tripartite structure and violate international labour standards.

“These amendments risk weakening the NSITF’s governance framework, eroding accountability, and exposing the Fund to undue political interference,” the OPSN warned.

The group emphasised that the NSITF was founded on a tripartite system representing government, employers, and labour, in line with International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions 102, 144, and 87, which Nigeria has ratified. These conventions, it noted, require that social security institutions be managed with active participation from all social partners to protect contributors’ and beneficiaries’ interests from unilateral government control.

According to OPSN, the Senate’s amendment would reduce the influence of employers and workers—the Fund’s primary contributors and beneficiaries—while expanding government dominance through political appointments. This, it said, contradicts international conventions and undermines good governance, transparency, and accountability in social security management.

Citing the ILO’s Recommendation 202 on Social Protection Floors, OPSN stressed that social protection systems must remain participatory and transparent, warning that politicisation would lead to inefficiency and loss of public trust.

The group further highlighted that the current NSITF Management Board serves as a guardian of contributors’ resources, ensuring prudent and transparent administration. Replacing it with a politically dominated structure, OPSN cautioned, would jeopardise the Fund’s autonomy, open doors to mismanagement, and endanger the welfare of millions of Nigerian workers and their families.

“It must be clearly stated that only one statutory agency—the NSITF—is responsible for implementing the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA). Any attempt to introduce parallel structures or alter this arrangement under the guise of reform would dismantle existing safeguards and violate international norms,” the OPSN said.

The coalition also criticised the Senate for prioritising what it described as a needless and potentially harmful amendment, instead of passing the long-overdue Nigeria Labour Law Bill, which aims to modernise labour regulations, strengthen workplace safety, improve dispute resolution, and promote social dialogue.

Calling for the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the OPSN urged the government to halt the process initiated by the Senate Committee on Labour and Employment.

“The NSITF, as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s social protection framework, must not be politicised or weakened. Its governance should remain anchored on tripartism, transparency, and accountability as enshrined in ILO conventions,” the group maintained.

Reaffirming its commitment to collaborating with the government and organised labour, the OPSN concluded that protecting the NSITF’s integrity is crucial to maintaining industrial harmony and ensuring the security and welfare of Nigerian workers.