In this Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) tracker, we highlight the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund Act (Amendment) Bill that passed second reading in the Senate.
Sponsored by Sen. Oluwole Cyril (APC, Ekiti), the bill seeks to strengthen Nigeria’s social protection system by providing compensation for death, injury, disease, or disability arising from work-related activities.
In essence, it is a more comprehensive social security framework for Nigerian workers, one that recognizes the human cost of labour and the right to protection from workplace risks.
Viewed through a GESI lens, the bill carries significant potential to advance social protection and equity, especially for women, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and vulnerable workers who are often excluded from formal safety nets. It is a chance to reimagine labour protection not just as an economic reform, but as a pathway to inclusion and dignity at work.
Expanding Economic Protection for Women
Women, especially those working in the informal sector, often lack access to social insurance schemes. This bill provides an opportunity to close that gap by ensuring that female breadwinners, widows, and caregivers are included in compensation and benefits systems. By institutionalising equitable access to workplace protection, the bill can help address long-standing gender disparities in labour rights and financial security.
A gender-responsive implementation would require equal access to claims processing and gender-sensitive awareness campaigns, ensuring that women know their rights and can easily navigate the compensation system.
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Promoting Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities
The bill’s inclusion of disability as a qualifying condition for compensation directly supports social inclusion. Beyond financial compensation, a GESI-driven approach would ensure reasonable workplace accommodations, rehabilitation support, and non-discriminatory employment practices for PWDs.
This aligns with the provisions of Nigeria’s Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, and international obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), reinforcing Nigeria’s commitment to inclusive social justice.
Protecting Vulnerable and Marginalized Workers
Many rural labourers, domestic workers, and informal earners remain outside the reach of formal protection systems. Extending the new trust fund to cover these groups would enhance equity in access to social safety nets. A GESI-aligned policy framework should include community-level awareness, simplified reporting mechanisms, and accessible grievance redress systems to ensure that all workers, regardless of gender, status, or location, can claim their entitlements.
A Call for Inclusive Governance and Implementation
To ensure lasting impact, civil society organizations (CSOs) and labour unions must play a role in tracking implementation. This includes advocating for:
- Gender-disaggregated data on beneficiaries and claims.
- Female and PWD representation in the Fund’s governing board.
- Public education and community sensitization to raise awareness of the Fund’s provisions and access procedures.
By integrating GESI into the design and implementation of the Nigeria Social Security Trust Fund, Nigeria can take a major step toward building a fair, resilient, and inclusive social protection system. This bill presents a timely opportunity to ensure that no worker, woman, man, or person with disability is left behind in the country’s pursuit of economic security and justice.
