NSITF Pays N306m Claims, Compensation To Injured Victims In 4months

The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), has paid not less than N306 million as claims and compensation to workers who sustained injury during the course of work in the last four months.

This was disclosed yesterday by the NSITF Managing Director/Chief Executive, Dr Micheal Akabogu during the interactive session with the Labour Correspondents in Abuja.

Akabogu who represented by Maureen Allagoa, said the claims and compensation covers medical expenses refund, loss of productivity, disability benefits to injured employees, death benefits to next of kin if deceased employees and retirement benefits to disabled employees.

“In the last 4 months, we have paid a total of Three hundred and Six Million, Five Hundred and Fifty-Four Thousand, eight hundred and Ninety-six-naira twenty-three kobo (N308, 554,896.23) claims and compensations. These paid claims and compensations cover Medical Expenses Refund, Loss of Productivity, and Disability Benefits for injured employees. Death benefits to next of kin of deceased employees and retirement benefits to disabled employees.

“Worthy of mention is the peculiar case of staff of Hydro drive Nigeria Limited, who worked as a secretary. On the 4th of January 2019, while waiting at the bus stop on her way to work, a reckless bus driver knocked her down resulting to a fracture to her right hand, spinal cord, and head injury. She was awarded 100 per cent disability and was treated at the Lagoon Hospital, Lagos.

“As at the last visit paid to her on 11th January 2022, she was completely bedridden, paralyzed in all limbs, unable to speak and completely dependent on her husband. The arrears of disability benefits in the sum of N4,994,150.18 was paid after which the beneficiary was placed on monthly disability benefits in the sum of N146,886.17. This is one of out of many services that the NSITF offers to the registered employees.”

On the issue of enforcement, the Akabogu said a total of 23,455 Employees Compensation Scheme applications from across the 56 branches of the Fund have been successfully processed and 22,761 Employees Compensation Certificate issued in the last four months.

Also speaking, the spokesperson of NSITF, Mrs. Ijeoma Okoronkwo disclosed that the Fund had begun the process of automating all of its processes through the E-NSITF project.

She said that the E-NSITF will help to make more finances available for the compensation of claims requests, increase contributions of employers to the pool of fund

Other benefits of the E-NSITF include blocking all financial and productivity leakages, improving the service delivery of the Fund to its stakeholders, improving the accountability of each staff of the Fund to their respective job functions, preventing loss of the Fund’s information as well as providing information to guide management’s decision.

However, she reiterated the commitment of the Fund to the ideals of Transparency, Accountability, and Prudence in the discharge of its statutory obligations to Nigerians, and to its employees.

In view of this, she said all monies standing to the credit of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) are remitted through the Treasury Single Account (TSA) of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“The Fund has also been active in corporate social responsibility projects such as its support for the physically challenged persons in Nigeria through the Kpakpando Foundation and the sponsorship of vocational skill training as an empowerment drive for randomly selected indigent Nigerians.

Finally, she stated that Management of NSITF is fully committed to the realization of the Employees Compensation Scheme mandate.