The Organised Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN) has kicked against a proposed amendment to the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Act, accusing the Senate of attempting to “politicise” and “hijack” the fund that protects workers in cases of injury, disability, and death at work.
In a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the OPSN warned that the amendment — which has already scaled second reading in the Senate — would erode transparency, weaken accountability, and destroy the NSITF’s internationally recognised tripartite structure.
The OPSN is made up of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN); Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA); Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA); Nigeria Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME); and the Nigeria Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI). The letter was jointly signed by the Directors-General of all five bodies.
“These amendments threaten to fundamentally weaken the NSITF governance structure, erode accountability and transparency, and expose the Fund to undue political interference,” the OPSN said.
At the heart of their objection is the fear that the changes would sideline employers and workers — the very people who fund and benefit from the scheme — and hand more control to the government through political appointments.
Tripartite control ‘under attack’
The OPSN reminded lawmakers that the NSITF was deliberately set up to be jointly managed by three parties: government, employers, and labour.
It said this model aligns with International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards that Nigeria has ratified — including Convention 102 (Social Security Minimum Standards), Convention 144 (Tripartite Consultation), and Convention 87 (Freedom of Association).
“These Conventions require that social security institutions be managed with the full and effective participation of social partners,” the OPSN stated, arguing that anything that dilutes that balance violates both international obligations and best practice.
According to the group, the proposed amendment “seeks to reduce the representation and influence of employers and workers … while increasing government control through political appointments.”
That, it warned, would “jeopardise the security of millions of Nigerian workers and their families” by making the Fund vulnerable to patronage, waste, and mismanagement.
The OPSN also cited ILO Recommendation 202 on social protection systems, which emphasises participatory and transparent governance and warns against the dangers of politicisation.
No ‘parallel structure’, OPSN insists
The private sector bloc further pushed back on what it called attempts to tamper with the NSITF’s statutory mandate.
“It is important to clarify that no two agencies are managing the NSITF. In fact, the NSITF is the sole, statutory agency responsible for implementing the Employees’ Compensation Act,” it said.
It argued that any move to “create parallel structures” or alter this arrangement under the guise of reform would introduce confusion, remove existing safeguards, and make abuse easier.
The current NSITF Management Board, OPSN said, “serves as the trustee and conscience of the Fund,” ensuring that contributions are managed prudently. Replacing that board with a politically driven structure, it warned, would amount to putting workers’ money “at the mercy of political interests.”
‘Fix labour law, not what’s working’
The OPSN also criticised the Senate’s priorities. It accused lawmakers of fast-tracking an “unnecessary and potentially damaging amendment” to the NSITF Act, while leaving the Nigeria Labour Law Bill — a comprehensive reform of the country’s outdated labour and employment framework — to gather dust.
“This bill is critical for the future of work in Nigeria,” the OPSN said, noting that it is designed to improve dispute resolution, workplace safety, social dialogue, and clarity on the rights and responsibilities of employers and workers.
By contrast, the NSITF, it argued, “has no operational defects that justify this level of interference.”
Call to Tinubu and Akpabio
The OPSN called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senate President Akpabio to urgently intervene and halt the process being pushed by the Senate Committee on Labour and Employment.
“The NSITF, as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s social protection system, must not be politicised or weakened,” it said.
The group vowed to resist any attempt to “capture” the Fund and reiterated its commitment to working with government and organised labour to strengthen — not undermine — institutions that guarantee workers’ welfare.
It concluded with a warning: the integrity of the NSITF is directly tied to industrial peace.
“The future of social protection in Nigeria depends on preserving tripartism, transparency, and accountability,” it said.
