The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund has partnered with the National Identity Management Commission to merge the data of Employees’ Compensation Scheme enrollees with the national identity database.

This collaboration is designed to improve the efficiency, security, and transparency of employee claim processing under the scheme.

Managing Director of NSITF, Mr. Oluwaseun Faleye, announced this on Wednesday during a courtesy visit to NIMC Director-General, Mrs. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, in Abuja.

He highlighted the importance of integrating employees’ bio-data with their NIN to enable easy validation and verification of registered workers.

Faleye stated that the partnership will significantly strengthen NSITF’s operations by upgrading its database system and reinforcing the country’s social security framework.

He emphasized that this collaboration will boost NSITF’s efficiency by providing quick access to accurate employee data for verification.

“The partnership will help improve NSITF’s efficiency and enhance its processes as regards database management, thereby broadening social security,” he said.

He further highlighted that NIMC’s extensive research and data collection across the country would provide valuable demographic insights, helping NSITF to optimize its Employees’ Compensation Scheme.

Faleye emphasized the importance of linking employee records with the NIN system, comparing it to other key identification requirements.

He noted that just as obtaining a Nigerian passport now requires NIN validation, a similar process should be applied to ensure seamless and accurate management of employee records.

“Today in Nigeria, to get a passport, your NIN must be verified. So we must adopt the same measure to seamlessly get adequate and accurate data of all employees under the scheme,” he noted.

Faleye emphasized the broader implications of the partnership, stating that it would enable NSITF to identify eligible individuals for not only ECS benefits but also future social security initiatives.

“We feel that a partnership with your organization will further enhance our ability to provide that service much more efficiently, particularly in the areas of access to the national database,” he said.

In response, NIMC Director-General, Mrs. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, pledged her agency’s full support for the collaboration.

She recognized the importance of the initiative and committed to providing the technical assistance needed to ensure a smooth integration.

We will definitely hand your IT team over to our own IT group so that they can collaborate and immediately form a working group together. We can work out the framework around this integration,” she said.

Odusote also committed to enforcing a strict timeline to complete the full integration within one week. She expressed confidence that this partnership would mark a significant milestone for both organizations.

Through this strategic collaboration, NSITF and NIMC aim to modernize Nigeria’s employee compensation system by enhancing data management, verification processes, and financial security for workers across the country.