I6 Years After, Federal Govt Implements Employees’ Compensation Act For Public Servants, Beneficiaries’ Families

The federal government has commenced the presentation of compensation cheques to public servants and families affected by work-related injuries, occupational diseases, disabilities and deaths.

This marks the implementation of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS) for workers in Treasury-funded ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

The cheques were presented in Abuja at a ceremony jointly organised by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) and the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), with both institutions describing the exercise as a landmark in the implementation of the Employees’ Compensation Act, 2010.

At the event, the head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, said the implementation of the scheme fulfilled a long-standing legal obligation that had remained dormant for years despite being enacted into law in 2010.

She disclosed that efforts to operationalise the process began as early as 2017, when she served as permanent secretary at the Service Welfare Office. Still, the initiative did not succeed until the current administration.

“I want to especially congratulate the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund for making this law that has been in the Nigerian law books since 2010 come alive for the benefit of public servants,” she said.
Walson-Jack commended the managing director and chief executive officer of NSITF, Mr Oluwaseun Mayomi Faleye, and his management team for their commitment to workers’ welfare, noting that the presentation of compensation cheques demonstrated that the government was translating its promise of protection into practical support for civil servants.

She stressed that the payments were not acts of charity but legal entitlements guaranteed under the Employees’ Compensation Act.

“These cheques are neither gifts nor acts of charity. They are lawful entitlements under the Employees’ Compensation Act 2010 and evidence that the government stands with those who serve,” she stated.

The head of Service praised President Bola Tinubu for prioritising workers under the Renewed Hope Agenda, saying the operationalisation of federal civil servants’ welfare reflected the administration’s commitment to improving public service welfare.

According to her, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and the NSITF had earlier signed a Memorandum of Understanding. They established an Employees’ Compensation Scheme Help Desk to simplify access to information, facilitate incident reporting and support the processing of compensation claims.

She noted that the partnership had now produced tangible results with the commencement of payments to beneficiaries.

Walson-Jack explained that the scheme provides financial compensation, medical care, counselling, rehabilitation and support for dependants of deceased employees, describing it as a critical social protection mechanism designed to help affected workers rebuild their lives with dignity.

Addressing the beneficiaries, she acknowledged the pain and personal losses associated with workplace accidents and fatalities.

“Behind every cheque is a personal story of injury, uncertainty, altered livelihood or the painful loss of a loved one. Although no payment can erase that experience, we hope this support will ease the burden, restore stability and reassure you that your service and sacrifice have not been forgotten,” she said.

She charged Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Human Resource Management and Occupational Health and Safety Officers across MDAs to ensure that all eligible public servants understand how to access the scheme, while urging prompt reporting of workplace incidents and proper documentation of claims.

She also emphasized that compliance should not replace workplace safety, calling on government institutions to enforce safety standards, identify hazards and create safer work environments.

“The federal civil service we are building must be efficient in its systems and humane in its conduct. Our policies must deliver meaningful results, especially when our people need them most,” she added.

Earlier, the managing director and chief executive officer of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, Mr Oluwaseun Mayomi Faleye, described the event as the fulfilment of a promise made to Nigerian workers under the Employees’ Compensation Act over 15 years ago.

According to him, the presentation represents the first direct payment of compensation to beneficiaries from Treasury-funded federal MDAs under the Employees’ Compensation Scheme.

“For a long time, that promise lived mostly on paper. Today, it lives in the hands of the people receiving these cheques,” Faleye said.

He explained that the scheme’s implementation was driven by President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes social security for Nigerian workers.

Faleye commended the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation for championing the operationalization of her leadership, ensuring that federal civil servants were no longer excluded from the protection guaranteed by law.

“What we are witnessing today does not happen without a leader willing to make compliance a priority. Your office did not simply permit this process; it drove it, defended it and insisted that Nigerian civil servants would not be an afterthought in their own government’s welfare architecture,” he said.

He acknowledged that while financial compensation could not replace lost lives or undo permanent injuries, it demonstrated that the government recognized the sacrifices made by workers in the course of national service.

“We cannot restore a lost limb or bring back a loved one, but we want every beneficiary to know that they are not forgotten and that their sacrifices have been recognized,” he added. He also urged all Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as private-sector employers, to fully enrol in the Employees’ Compensation Scheme and comply with the law’s provisions.

He stressed that beyond compensation, the NSITF remained committed to promoting occupational health and safety through workplace inspections, risk prevention and stronger collaboration with employers.

According to him, every employer has a responsibility to protect workers from occupational hazards, while employees should also insist that their employers comply with the Employees’ Compensation Act.

The event featured the presentation of compensation cheques to beneficiaries who sustained work-related injuries, suffered occupational diseases, or lost family members in the course of official duties, signalling the full operationalization of the Compensation Scheme for federal civil servants.