By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
To ensure that Nigerian workers in all strata of government and private employment receive compensation in the event of injuries and death in the workplace, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the universal implementation of the Employee Compensation Act (ECA) 2010.
This piece of cheering news was dropped by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige while briefing State House Correspondents after the Special FEC meeting presided over by Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo at Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday.
According to Ngige, the New Act provides that the worker who is injured or had an accident, contracted a disease, disabled or dead in the course of work, should be compensated, remunerated and even the family, pay something when the man is no longer there.
He also said that it did make provision for some of the children of such employee to be schooled or educated, up to the age of 21.
Said he: “Today, my ministry presented a memorandum to the Federal Executive Council for the Universal Implementation of the Employee Compensation Act (ECA) 2010.
“That law is a law that is operated by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and it’s a replacement of the old Employee Compensation Act, that’s what they call ‘Workmen Compensation’ in the olden times.
“Today, the Council has approved it for universal implementation, meaning that apart from private sector, that is already implementing, the public sector, which is government; federal, state and local governments, have now to adopt this for the protection of their workers.
“The Act provides that the worker who is injured or had an accident or contacted a disease or disabled or dead in the course of work, should be compensated, remunerated and even the family, pay something when the man is no longer there. It did make provision for some of the children to be schooled or educated, up to the age of 21.
“So today is a good day for the Nigerian workers because the decent work agenda that is contained in Convention102 of the ILO has a major branch on what they call Workers’ Protection in the course of work.
“So this is the law and Nigeria has today directed that all workers in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) of the federal government should be covered with a percentage contribution”.
Speaking further on the new Employee Compensation Act, Ngige said: “It’s an insurance premium, 1% of remuneration. You pay it and it insures your workers against these workplace accident injuries.
“That is what the Council passed today (Monday) and directed the Minister of Finance and the Budget Office of the Federation to make provision for it in annual budget as Social Contributions.
“Under the subject of Social Contributions in our Annual Appropriation, as of today (Monday), you only have two items there; number one is Pension Contribution of employers.
Second one is the Health Insurance Scheme by the employer”.
