The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has expressed readiness to collaborate closely with the Organised Labour, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to strengthen the implementation of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme.
The Director-General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, Wale Smatt-Oyerinde, stated this during the Safe Workplace Intervention Project (SWIP) Annual Interactive Enlightenment Forum and Awards Presentation ceremonies held at NECA House in Lagos today.
Delivering his remarks at the event, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Maigari Dingyadi, stated that the SWIP initiative has brought together key stakeholders to advance the cause of safe, healthy, and productive workplaces in Nigeria.
Dingyadi described the dialogue as a strong demonstration of our collective commitment to protecting workers and sustaining enterprises. He stated that the Act represents a major milestone in Nigeria’s labour administration framework, guaranteeing fair, adequate compensation to workers who suffer injuries, disabilities, or diseases. or death arising from the cause of their employment.
“It places a premium on prevention by encouraging employers to prioritize workplace safety, risk management, and occupational therapy,” he said.
He noted that the project was timely and strategic by combining awareness of client support and recognition of best practices to promote a culture in which safety is not seen as a cost, but as a critical investment in human capital, productivity, and national development.
Speaking at the occasion, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, stated that the federal government is working around the clock to strengthen the enforcement of the Factory Rights Act.
While urging for partnership with key stakeholders such as NECA, Onyejeocha said the FG would continue to intensify workplace instructions nationwide.
“We cannot speak of job creation while workers are exposed to preventable danger. No job is worth a human life. Our objective is simple but non-negotiable. Every Nigerian worker must leave home for work and return safely at the end of the day,” she said.
She also urged employers to fully comply with the provisions of the Act and contribute by continuously investing in safety systems.
“I also encourage workers to remain self-conscious and to exercise their rights responsibly under the law,” she said.
Congratulating the award winners at the ceremony, she noted that the recognition is a clear demonstration that compliance and competitiveness can go hand in hand.
In his remarks, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, stated that a sustained effort to strengthen the NSITF Act, improve compliance, and empower workers can transform occupational risk management in Nigeria. According to Ajaero, this action will not only reduce the socio-economic burden of workplace injuries but also promote a culture of safety, accountability, and social justice across the nation’s workplaces.
He emphasized the need to focus on raising awareness, enforcement, and inclusivity, noting that the Act can serve as a model framework for workers’ protection, ensuring that all Nigerian employees enjoy their right to fair, timely, and adequate compensation regardless of sector.
In his opening remarks, the Director-General, Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Wale Smatt-Oyerinde, explained that the initiative, SWIP, was designed as a learning and equipment platform, enabling employers to better understand their obligations under the law, appreciate the benefits of compliance and adopt proactive occupational safety and health practices that protect both workers and enterprises.
Smatt-Oyerinde described the interactive session and award ceremony as deliberate interventions to recognize organizations that have demonstrated exemplary commitment to workplace safety, while also providing a forum for open dialogue on the practical challenges employers face in implementing the ECA 2010.
“The Lagos event is part of the nationwide SWIP engagement series, which reflects the association’s resolve to ensure that employers across the country are adequately informed, engaged, and supported in achieving compliance and improving workplace safety outcomes. Safe workplaces are productive places where workers are protected, motivated, and assured of compensation in the event of injury or any disease,” he said.
He disclosed that most enterprises in Nigeria are becoming more resilient, competitive, and sustainable.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, Oluwaseun Faleye, stated that SWIP has evolved into a strategic platform for driving awareness, strengthening compliance, and fostering collaboration around occupational safety and health.
According to Faleye, the forum serves as a critical interface between policy, innovation, and private practice and performance, where employers, workers, regulators, and partners engage constructively to build safer, more productive workplaces. He described the dialogue as a demonstration of the agency’s shared commitments, reflecting its collective resolve to ensure that economic growth does not come at the expense of worker safety and that productivity is anchored in workplaces that protect lives, dignity, and livelihoods.
While commending NECA for its consistent leadership and promoting employer compliance and workers’ safety, he noted that compliance must not be seen as a regulatory obligation alone, but as a strategic business decision that saves our human capital, reduces operational risk, and enhances the organization’s reputation.
A major highlight of the event was the recognition of companies such as Nigerian Breweries Plc, Guinness Nigeria, Chi Limited, among others with some receiving car ambulances to promote workplace safety.
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About NECA
Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) was formed in 1957 to provide a forum for the Government to consult with private sector employers on socio-economic and labour policy issues. It is, therefore, the umbrella organization of employers in the Organised Private Sector of Nigeria.
NECA provides a platform for private sector employers to interact with the government, labour, communities and other relevant institutions in and outside Nigeria for the purpose of promoting a harmonious business environment that will engender productivity and prosperity for the benefit of all. NECA is not a trade union but a dynamic and highly respected professional body registered under the Company and Allied Matters Act 1990 with the following membership structure:
