NECA, MAN, NACCIMA Oppose Senate’s Move to Take Over NSITF

The Organised Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN) has strongly opposed the Senate’s proposed amendment to the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Act, describing it as a dangerous attempt to politicise and take control of workers’ social protection funds.

The OPSN—which includes 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 Nigeria Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI)—warned that the move threatens the Fund’s transparency, accountability, and governance structure.

In a joint letter to the Senate President, signed by the Directors-General of the member organisations, the OPSN urged lawmakers to stop the amendment process, which has already passed its second reading. The group argued that the proposal would undermine the NSITF’s tripartite management system and violate international labour standards.

According to the letter, the NSITF was established on a tripartite foundation—representing government, employers, and labour—in accordance with International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions 102, 144, and 87, all of which Nigeria has ratified. These conventions emphasise participatory and transparent governance of social security systems, free from political interference.

The OPSN warned that reducing the representation of employers and workers while increasing government control would erode good governance, accountability, and effective management of contributors’ funds. It added that the NSITF’s current management board ensures prudent oversight of workers’ resources and must not be replaced with a politically driven structure.

The group further cautioned that creating parallel agencies or altering the Fund’s statutory framework could lead to confusion, mismanagement, and a breach of international standards.

Expressing concern over legislative priorities, OPSN criticised the Senate for focusing on what it called an “unnecessary and damaging amendment” instead of passing the long-pending Nigeria Labour Law Bill—crucial for addressing workplace safety, labour relations, and dispute resolution.

The OPSN called on President Bola Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio to intervene and halt the amendment process. It reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with the government and labour unions to strengthen social protection systems, insisting that the NSITF must remain transparent, accountable, and free from political control.