Retirement security begins on the job, not at retirement — Faleye

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—Says NSITF now covers 7.8m workers; claim processing time cut to 10 days

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By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

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ABUJA– THE Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF),Oluwaseun Faleye, on Thursday said that individual efforts in retirement planning cannot substitute for institutional responsibility, emphasising that retirement security must be built during one’s working life, not at the point of exit from service.

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Faleye made the statement while presenting NSITF’s position at the Policy Dialogue session of the 2026 National Pre-Retirement Summit, themed “Own Your Retirement: From Planning to Action,” held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.

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Speaking at the session, themed “Between Duty and Delivery”, the Managing Director said social protection hinges on the gap between what the law promises citizens and what they actually experience.

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He said, “When we speak about retirement, we must begin much earlier than the point at which work ends. Retirement security is shaped during working life – by occupational risks, health, protection of earning capacity, compensation when harm occurs, and what happens to families when a breadwinner is lost”.

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He stated that while pensions and savings are indispensable, they do not tell the whole story.

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The NSITF boss noted that a worker who remains healthy, productive and protected has a different pathway into old age from one who suffers disabling injury or premature death without adequate protection.

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Faleye explained that the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS), which NSITF administers, is part of the retirement and social protection continuum, protecting workers against employment-related injury, occupational disease, disability and death, while providing compensation, survivor protection, medical care, rehabilitation and return-to-work support.

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On coverage, the NSITF boss disclosed that as at July 2026, more than 7.6 million workers were enrolled under the Scheme, adding that current figure has risen to over 7.8 million.

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He said the Fund is moving from isolated registration exercises toward sustained participation and compliance through partnerships with Federal institutions, State Governments,regulators, employers and organisations in the informal economy.

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He described the onboarding of Treasury-funded Federal MDAs as particularly significant, revealing that within less than four months of the integration process, claims payments have commenced.

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“The first batch of five Treasury-funded MDA beneficiaries was paid on 4 August 2026. This is turning Federal Civil Service protection into a lived reality,” Faleye said.

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He stressed that registration alone is not protection, adding that compliance must deliver real protection by connecting registration and assessment to contributions, accurate worker information, claims and timely benefit payment.

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Faleye said the family must remain visible in social protection design, noting that when a worker dies from employment-related incident, survivors’ and dependents’ benefits become critical.

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“The system must be visible at the point of vulnerability. Claims administration, documentation, communication and inter-agency referrals should be designed around the beneficiary’s experience, with compassion, clarity and timely resolution,” he added.

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On prevention, he said NSITF’s occupational safety and health work through workplace inspection, accident investigation and safety advocacy is aimed at ensuring fewer accidents occur at workplaces, while healthcare and rehabilitation preserve dignity and earning capacity.

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The NSITF Chief Executive said workers should plan for retirement and understand their entitlements, but warned that a worker cannot individually insure against an employer’s non-compliance or build a claims system.

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“The right balance is shared responsibility: the State builds and regulates the architecture; institutions deliver within their mandates; employers comply and maintain safe workplaces; and workers understand, use and participate actively in the protections available to them,” he stated.

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He listed NSITF’s position as: retirement security begins during working life; coverage must mean effective protection not merely registration; prevention and compensation must work together; families and dependents must remain part of protection design; and individual ownership complements but does not replace public and employer responsibilities.

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“Between duty and delivery is where trust is won. For the Nigerian worker, social protection must be more than a statutory promise on paper. It must be felt when a worker is injured, when a family loses a breadwinner, when rehabilitation is needed, and when a worker approaches retirement,” Faleye said.

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He disclosed that average claims turnaround has improved to 10 days from 14 days, adding that the next task is to deepen coverage, strengthen compliance and improve institutional coordination.

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“A worker can plan for retirement only when the system is credible enough to plan with,” he concluded.

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