R-L: Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Oluwaseun Faleye; Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi; and President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Benedict Bakwaph Kanyip, during the opening of the 2026 NSITF Legal Stakeholders’ Engagement in Abuja, on Thursday.
By Chesa Chesa
The Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Oluwaseun Faleye, has called for stronger judicial interpretation, adjudication and enforcement of the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA) 2010 to ensure Nigerian workers enjoy the protections guaranteed under the law.
Faleye made the call on Thursday at the opening of the 2026 NSITF Legal Stakeholders’ Engagement in Abuja, where judges, lawyers, labour leaders, employers and government officials gathered to examine ways of strengthening the administration of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme.
The two-day engagement is themed, “Enhancing Judicial Interpretation, Adjudication and Enforcement under the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA), 2010.”
Speaking at the event, Faleye said the existence of the law alone does not guarantee justice for workers who suffer workplace injuries, diseases, disabilities or death.
He said the real test of the Act lies in whether its provisions are properly interpreted, disputes are fairly resolved without unnecessary delays, and court decisions are effectively enforced.
“The existence of a law does not by itself guarantee that its promise will be fulfilled,” Faleye said.
He explained that weaknesses at any of the three stages—interpretation, adjudication or enforcement—could erode public confidence in the compensation system.
According to him, decisions of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) have far-reaching implications because they clarify workers’ rights, guide employers’ conduct and shape future labour disputes.
“For workers, justice means the practical realisation of their entitlements, while for employers it means a predictable legal environment,” he said.
In his goodwill message, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, said public confidence in government institutions depends on justice being administered fairly and impartially.
Quoting late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa’s description of the judiciary as “the last hope of the common man,” Dingyadi said the judiciary bears a profound responsibility to uphold fairness and integrity.
“The credibility of our institutions is strengthened not by words alone, but by the quality and integrity of their actions,” the minister said.
Also speaking, President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Benedict Bakwaph Kanyip, advocated stronger institutional collaboration to ensure that compensation benefits reach deserving workers.
