Adeyanju Pledges NSITF Expansion Into Maritime Sector

By Roland Ekama

Deputy President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, has assured stakeholders in the maritime industry that the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has plans underway to engage private and government-owned establishments on the need to participate in and benefit from the trust fund.

Adeyanju disclosed this on the sidelines of a recent programme organized by NSITF and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) in Lagos.

The former President General of the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) noted that participation by parastatals and agencies in the maritime sector remains very low, but added that NSITF management and the governing board are brainstorming ways to engage industry players.

Adeyanju, who also serves as a governing board member of NSITF, reiterated: “We will beam our searchlight on the maritime sector soon because the benefits are enormous. There is hope for all Nigerian workers.

“We don’t hear much about the maritime sector, in the trust fund and you know that maritime is a peculiar industry and the gateway to our economy.

“Very soon, you will see NSITF engaging players in the port industry—the terminal operators, shipping companies, NPA, NIMASA, and others—to key into these trust fund .”

He added that: “Already, the board is consulting with management on the need to focus on the maritime sector just like other industries in the economy.”

DAILY FOCUS NIGERIA gathered that a few personnel from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) benefited from the trust fund in 2025.

According to a document made available to our correspondent, 39 NCS employees received compensation totaling N484,239,694.22.

Adeyanju maintained that these figures could soar higher in the future if more awareness is created across sub-sectors of the marine and blue economy industry.

Reaffirming the push to explore the maritime sector, NSITF’s Executive Director of Operations, Mojisolaoluwa Alli-Macaulay, stated that some 2026 projections will focus on expanding into more industries, with additional employers to be engaged this year.

She noted that the maritime sector is a priority and that stakeholders in the industry will be engaged this year.

NSITF is a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, established via Decree No. 73 of 1993 to succeed the defunct National Provident Fund (NPF).