NSITF pays over N4bn to injured employees

The Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has paid not less than N4 billion to injured employees of various organizations who had accidents in their workplaces.

The General Manager Health, safety and environment of the trust Fund, Dr Kelly Nwagha told reporters in Kano on Saturday during North West public 2021 annual occupational safety and health enlightenment program. 

“I want to let you know that since inception, we have paid not less than four billion as benefits to deserving employees”.

He disclosed that the NSITF spends  millions of naira on monthly basis as compensatory payment to individual employees.

According to him, 110,000 has so far registered with NSITF, adding that “We want see everybody is being happy. We want more and more to be registered”. 

“We now pay this injured employee compensation to argument, to stabilise and make him happier so as being out the best in either the job he was doing before or we try to help bring another job or counsel the employer to get another job that will benefit the employee in his present condition. Should there be death, we pay the next of kin of the employee some reasonable amount of benefits.

Nwagha listed the preventative services, whereby the NSITF ensures that the health, safety and wellbeing of all employees are guaranteed in the workplace or in the course of work. 

According to him, this service of the NSITF engenders improved productivity of the employees, which in turn ensures more revenues for the employer.

He added, the Fund provides Rehabilitative cum Curative services. This has to do with the reimbursement of the cost of healthcare services incurred by the injured employees, provision of artificial limbs or members, as the result of the accident/disease in the course of the employment. This is to enable injured employees to improve their working capacity. 

The General Manager stated that the Fund equally provides compensatory services, which include payment of disability claims, periodic payment to the next of kin of a deceased employee, payment for loss of productivity to the employer. 

In her presentation also ,  Osuhor Susan Uche, a senior Manager at NSITF health, safety and environment highlighted five steps of good housekeeping techniques for enhancing productivity, quality and safety of the workplace.