The Nigerian Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) have stepped up efforts to enhance workplace safety standards across the country. This move comes as negligence, poor awareness, and a weak safety culture continue to put Nigerian workers at risk of preventable injuries and deaths.
At a press conference in Abuja, the organizations announced the upcoming NSITF-NECA Safe Workplace Intervention Project (SWIP) 2025 interactive enlightenment forums and award ceremonies. SWIP is a collaborative initiative aimed at improving occupational health and safety in Nigerian workplaces. The project involves auditing companies’ safety policies, infrastructure, emergency preparedness, and compliance with national and international best practices.
In 2025, 200 companies across the six geopolitical zones were audited under the initiative. The audit process evaluates policies, behavior, leadership, emergency preparedness, and implementation. The results will be used to identify areas for improvement and recognize organizations that have demonstrated exceptional commitment to workplace safety. Five ambulances and other safety equipment will be presented to outstanding performers at the award ceremony.
NECA Director-General Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde emphasized that workplace safety is a critical issue that is often treated with complacency by both employers and employees. He noted that occupational safety and health has been elevated to a core convention by the International Labour Organisation, making it a human rights issue. Oyerinde stressed that workplace accidents can have irreversible consequences, even when victims survive, and highlighted the need for a rethink of what constitutes a workplace in the face of emerging challenges such as remote work and artificial intelligence.
The NSITF Managing Director/CEO, Oluwaseun Faleye, described SWIP as a key tool for driving private-sector compliance with workplace safety and employee compensation laws. He emphasized the importance of stakeholder engagement and collaboration in ensuring that organizations comply with the Employees’ Compensation Act. The 2025 SWIP activities, which were delayed due to operational exigencies, will officially kick off in Lagos on January 20, followed by Enugu, and a grand finale in Abuja on January 27.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Salihu Usman, commended NECA and NSITF for sustaining SWIP, describing it as a model of effective collaboration. He noted that the ministry’s Occupational Safety and Health Department actively participated as a technical partner to ensure alignment with national standards and global best practices. The initiative supports the Employees’ Compensation Act 2010 and reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to worker welfare, productivity, and sustainable development.
