Business a.m.
The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has signalled its willingness to work more closely with organised labour, regulators and government agencies to strengthen the implementation of Nigeria’s Employees’ Compensation Scheme, as concerns grow about workplace safety and compliance.
Speaking at the Safe Workplace Intervention Project (SWIP) Annual Interactive Enlightenment Forum in Lagos, NECA’s director-general, Wale Smatt-Oyerinde, said the employers’ body was ready to deepen collaboration with the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), organised labour and the federal ministry of labour and employment to improve enforcement of the Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA).
The forum, hosted at NECA House, brought together employers, labour leaders and government officials to review progress on occupational safety and health and to recognise companies with strong compliance records.
Nigeria’s minister of labour and employment, Maigari Dingyadi, said SWIP had emerged as a key platform for aligning stakeholders around the goal of safer and more productive workplaces. He described the Employees’ Compensation Act as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s labour administration framework, providing for fair and adequate compensation in cases of work-related injury, disability, illness or death.
“The Act places strong emphasis on prevention by encouraging employers to prioritise workplace safety, risk management and occupational health,” Mr Dingyadi said, adding that the initiative reframed safety as an investment in productivity and national development rather than a regulatory cost.
Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, the minister of state for labour and employment, said the federal government was intensifying enforcement of factory and workplace regulations, while calling for stronger partnerships with employer groups such as NECA. “We cannot speak of job creation while workers are exposed to preventable dangers,” she said, urging employers to comply fully with safety laws and invest continuously in protection systems.
Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress,Labour representatives echoed the call for stronger enforcement. said sustained improvements in compliance with the NSITF and Employees’ Compensation Acts could significantly reduce the economic and social costs of workplace injuries. He argued that the framework could serve as a model for worker protection across sectors if awareness, inclusivity and enforcement were strengthened.
Smatt-Oyerinde said SWIP was designed to help employers better understand their legal obligations and the business benefits of compliance, while providing a forum to address practical implementation challenges. He described the programme’s nationwide rollout as evidence of NECA’s commitment to improving safety standards and competitiveness among Nigerian enterprises.
Oluwaseun Faleye,chief executive of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, said SWIP had evolved into a strategic interface between policy and private-sector practice, helping to embed safety into business decision-making. Compliance, he said, should be viewed as a strategic investment that reduces operational risk and protects human capital.
The event concluded with the recognition of several companies, including Nigerian Breweries, Guinness Nigeria and Chi Limited, for exemplary safety practices, with some awardees receiving ambulance vehicles to support workplace emergency response.
Founded in 1957, NECA is the umbrella organisation for private-sector employers in Nigeria, serving as a key interlocutor between business, government and labour on socio-economic and employment policy.
