She spoke at the maiden edition of the Fund’s Central Management Performance Review meeting in Abuja.
Allagoa, in a statement signed by the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Nwachukwu Godson, on Tuesday, said, “It is my expectation that the next two days will avail us the opportunity and the platform for target setting for 2024 as well as a comprehensive and comparative review of the 2023 target performances as branches and as regions, with a view to learning from our shortcomings and improving on our successes for a target-surpassing 2024.
“The Employees’ Compensation Scheme is fortuitously in alignment with the poverty reduction and healthy national workforce agenda of the Tinubu administration. The cardinal place we occupy as the operators of the scheme in achieving this lofty national objective demands doubling down, meaning an extra mile for us to ensure we leave no gaps in fully fulfilling our mandate.
“I am glad that we have left no stone unturned barely a year we came on board, as we broadened the bracket of beneficiaries of different categories of claims and compensations by the deserving registered injured workers while exploring other aspects of the ILO Convention 102 to widen the horizon of social inclusion to all Nigerians.”
Commending the staff of the agency for the unprecedented 98% projected target achieved in 2023, Allagoa expressed confidence that the record will be surpassed in 2024, exhorting all staff to do more.
She further expressed satisfaction with the results of the conclusions from the last regional management performance review as well as the monthly review held in October and December 2023 respectively, stating that the 32 strategic observations arising therefrom, provided a compass for a successful planning and navigation of the ECS.
“The 32 observations raised at the regional management review was comprehensively deliberated on at several EXCO meetings and have indeed catalysed the management into an informed decisions making, leading to new strategies to achieve our 2024 target and even surpassing it,” the statement said.
The Managing Director also announced new operational policies and strategic action plans to include the adoption of the ECS compliance certificates as part of bidding requirements for contracts in the states of the federation, harmonised ECS central database in all branches and regions to forestall double registration, aggressive registration of new employers and segmentation of all coverage areas to ensure effective enforcement, intensification of the occupational safety and health awareness to reduce workplace accidents and ensuring that all staff participate in at least one training a year.
Pending approval by the Board also, the Managing Director further announced the re-alignment of the Ilorin Branch of the Fund from Abuja Region to Ibadan Region and Yenegoa Branch from Asaba Region to the Port Harcourt Region as well as Onitsha Branch from Enugu Region to the Owerri Region on the basis of proximity and ease of operation.
She re-stated the commitment of executive management to staff welfare.
Allagoa noted, “Management is in conversation with Pro Health, our Health Insurance provider with a view to kick-starting a review of the health insurance plan for staff to ensure that you continue to receive adequate medical care irrespective of the escalating costs of things in the country.”
She assured that the promotion exercise for the outstanding 2023 and 2024 will commence in no distant time as the parent Ministry of labour and Employment rounds off its intervention in the matter.
