Reform Committee Recommends NSITF Digitisation

The committee set up to review the 2013 draft regulation to the Employees’ Compensation Act, 2010 has submitted its report with recommendation for digitisation of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF).

The move follows a recent promise by the minister of labour and employment, Simon Lalong to “unbundle the agency for effectiveness.”

The committee was formed with the mandate to formulate a workable general regulation to enable the fund achieve the objectives of the Employees’ Compensation Act, 2010.

Receiving the report, NSITF managing -director, Maureen Allagoa said, “The review of the draft regulation, made in 2013, could not have come at a better time in view of the dynamism of the fund’s ecosystem, including its operating procedures and diverse publics.”

According to a statement issued by fund’s general-manager, corporate affairs, Nwachukwu Godson, the committee was chaired by the funds general-manager, legal, Barr  Innocent Eremionkhale, who worked with memoranda from all regions and branches, the  ECS Act 2010, NSITF Regulation 2013, directives of NSITF board as well as its manual and policies.

Other members of the committee included Frances Nwachukwu, Ntiense Akpabio, Dr Chidiebere Nwagbaso, Udoka Oti, Kemes Innocent and Jemila Tela.

He said that the committee recommended among others, an express recognition to the informal sector and digitisation of the fund. It also made a new provision for the assessment of various classes of industries as well as the duration of compensation for classes of beneficiaries.

The committee equally introduced interim compliance certificates, administrative fees, and other charges in addition to the principle of “No Contribution, No Claim and No compensation”.

In a related development, Allagoa has appealed to the Rivers State government to key into the programme.

The call came during the sensitisation visit to the secretary to the government of Rivers State, Dr Tammy Wenike Danagogoin in, Port Harcourt.