Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has said Nigeria will be hosting ISSA West African Technical seminar on how to strengthen and improve inclusiveness and accessibility of Social Security Service through effective communication.
The event will bring together social security institutions in West Africa, policymakers, employers and workers representatives and development partners to really brainstorm as to how best and how effective to deliver social security initiatives for the benefit of workers.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday, ahead of the 2026 ISSA West Africa Technical Seminar scheduled to hold in Abuja, the capital city, next week, Managing Director of the NSITF, Barr. Oluwaseun Faleye, said the Fund is set to collaborate with key stakeholders and development partners to entrench social security in workplaces.
He said the seminar, themed âImproving Inclusiveness and Accessibility of Social Security Services through Effective Communicationâ, is very deliberate and not just an event but part of a broader effort to strengthen social protection systems across West Africa.
Faleye explained that Nigeria has made significant progress in strengthening its social security architecture, particularly through the Employeesâ Compensation Scheme, expanded workplace injury coverage, stressing that they, however, recognise that coverage must deepen, access must become simpler and engagement with employers and workers must improveâ.
The MD stated, âWe look forward to welcoming stakeholders from across the region to Abuja. What we began in Abuja is not just a conversation, it is a commitment to strengthening protection for millions of workers across West Africa.
âThis Seminar comes at a time when social protection systems globally, and particularly in West Africa, are under pressure to evolve. Across our region, millions of workers, especially in the informal sector, remain outside formal social security coverageâ.
According to the NSITF boss, âThe question is no longer whether social security is important, but how effectively we are delivering itâ, adding that âNigeria, through NSITF, is honoured to host the ISSA West Africa Technical Seminar 2026.
âThe Seminar will bring together: Social security institutions, policymakers, employers and workersâ representatives. The objective is simple but critical: to strengthen how social security systems work in practice, not just in policyâ, he stated.
Speaking further, the MD noted that in many cases, the challenge is not the absence of schemes, but limited awareness, complex processes, and low trust in institutions, adding that âCommunication is therefore not an add-on, but it is central to expanding coverage and building confidenceâ.
He stressed that hosting the seminar reflects Nigeriaâs commitment to continuous improvement and regional leadership as âWest Africa shares common structural realities: Large informal economies, young and mobile populations, evolving labour markets. This makes it essential to learn from one another and adapt solutions to our realities, not copy models blindlyâ.
Faleye further noted the ISSA platform provides exactly that opportunity for peer learning and collaboration.
The managing director, who explained that strengthening social security is a shared responsibility, said development partners also play a key role in supporting innovation and capacity building.
He listed organisations and institutions that will be participating in the conference, including the Federal Ministry of Labour, PENCOM, NECA, MAN, NLC, TUC, UNESCO, and the ILO. Many other organisations will also participate.
He requested that governments provide enabling policies, institutions must deliver efficiently, employers must comply and engage, and workers must be informed and empowered.
On the expected outcomes from the conference, the managing director said the conference is expected to generate practical insights for improving service delivery, strengthen institutional collaboration across the region and highlight communication strategies that work in real contexts, stating that âUltimately, the goal is to move from coverage in theory to coverage in realityâ.
According to him, âSocial security must not remain a system people hear about; it must become a system people can access, understand, and trust.â
Emphasising the importance of communication in improving inclusiveness and accessibility of social security apparatus, the Managing Director reiterated that âCommunication is not just an add-on, but itâs about expanding coverage and building trust in the formal sector.
âAnd it is through communication that we should be able to really communicate and create awareness and close understanding of the social safety in workplacesâ.
Onyebuchi Ezigbo
