By Victor AhiumaYoung

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, has indicated interest in enrolling the state public workers in the Employee’s Compensation Scheme, ECS, of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF.

The governor gave this hint when he received a high-profile advocacy visit

by the new Managing Director of the NSITF, Oluwaseun Faleye,  accompanied on the visit by the Executive Director Finance and Investment, a former long standing staff of the NSITF, Adegoke Adedeji, Executive Director, Administration, Professor G.O.C Okenwa, and the Executive Director of Mobilization, Mojisoluwa Ali-Macaulay, as well as  members of the Senate and House Committees on Labour and Employment, led by their chairmen, Senator Diket Plang and Adegboruwa Adefarati, respectively.

A statement by the General Manager Corporate Affairs, NSITF, Nwachukwu Godson, informed that the visit was ahead of the two-day retreat on “Building a Stronger NSITF,” organized to acquaint the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Labour and Employment on the workings of the NSITF.

According to the statement, during the visit, Faleye appealed to the Governor for the enrollment of the Lagos State workforce into the Employees Compensation Scheme, ECS.

The Managing Director told the governor that it would serve as a big boost on efforts by NSITF to get other states to key into the scheme. For Faleye, a former Assistant Director in the Lagos Civil Service, the response of the Governor did not fall short of expectation.

Responding, Governor Sanwo-Olu, said the state government has a robust insurance package for its workers. He however noted that “Lagos would be willing to explore collaboration with the NSITF to further boost social security to the Lagos workers.”

He called for transparency and accountability in NSITF.

The long sought advocacy to the sub-national levels, expected to unleash the potential of the NSITF in enrollment as well as in claims and compensations to injured workers has commenced in earnest.