The Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Barrister Olúwaceun Faleye, has launched a nationwide workplace safety initiative aimed at protecting Nigerian workers and boosting productivity.

Faleye announced the initiative at a press conference to flag off the 2025 Safe Workplace Intervention Project (SWIP), a collaboration between NSITF and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA). Although initially planned for 2025, the project was reconvened in January 2026 due to operational challenges.

He said the project was designed to address the persistent exposure of workers to avoidable workplace risks and poor compliance with the Employees’ Compensation Act, 2010.

“Too many Nigerian workers are still exposed to preventable hazards. SWIP is about saving lives, protecting livelihoods, and making workplace safety the norm,” Faleye said, adding that economic growth is anchored on the protection and respect for workers.

Faleye stressed that laws alone cannot change behaviour without awareness and engagement, noting that many workplace injuries occur due to weak safety systems and poor understanding of risks. He called on the media to help elevate workplace safety to a national priority.

Speaking on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Director of Regional Health and Safety, Mrs. Florence Owie, commended NSITF and NECA for sustaining the initiative. She disclosed that over 200 workplaces across the six geopolitical zones were audited under the project, in line with national and global safety standards.

The Director-General of NECA, Mr. Adewale Smatt Oyerinde, said occupational safety and health has become a core convention of the International Labour Organization (ILO). He explained that the SWIP awards aim to encourage voluntary compliance, revealing that selected organisations would receive ambulances and personal protective equipment in Lagos, Enugu, and Abuja later this month.

In her remarks, the Executive Director, Operations, NSITF, Hon. Mojisola Ali-Macaulay, urged employers to institutionalise preventive safety measures and called for sustained collaboration among stakeholders to improve occupational safety and health nationwide.

She described safe workplaces as achievable and essential for national productivity and economic stability.