By Stella Odueme
The Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Mr Oluwaseun Faleye, has urged staff of the Fund to prioritise empathy, teamwork and excellent service delivery to strengthen public confidence in the organisation.
Faleye gave the charge on Tuesday in Abuja during the flag-off of the 2026 Customer Service Week celebration at the Fund's headquarters, stressing that employees must go beyond routine duties to improve the public's perception of the institution.
He said the theme of this year's celebration, "Go The Extra Mile," should become a permanent work ethic rather than a slogan observed only during the commemorative week.
According to him, sustained commitment to excellent service would enhance the Fund's reputation, improve customers' experiences and give staff a sense of fulfilment from serving the public.
"As the theme says, we go the extra mile. I urge us this week, this month and, of course, going forward to go the extra mile, not only for ourselves internally as we collaborate to make our service to our customers out there exemplary, but also to the outside world to leave a great perception of the Fund," he said.
Faleye explained that the nature of the NSITF's responsibilities required staff to demonstrate compassion, sensitivity and understanding, particularly when dealing with workers who suffer occupational injuries, employers and dependants of deceased employees.
He noted that the Fund's services often involved people facing difficult circumstances, making empathy an essential part of its operations.
The managing director cautioned employees against returning to old practices after the celebration, urging them to sustain the momentum and continuously improve their approach to service delivery.
"I don't want us to just use the moment, the week, the month as a customer service-oriented period and afterwards go back to our usual status. I want us to keep that momentum, sustain that momentum going forward because it is through a sustained and enhanced customer service delivery that we can be better," Faleye said.
He also emphasised the importance of collaboration among departments, explaining that internal service delivery directly influences the quality of services ultimately received by customers.
According to him, departments responsible for inspection, audit, compliance and claims must work together effectively, as every unit depends on the others to fulfil the Fund's mandate.
"I don't want you to see this customer service as an external-facing matter. Inspection and audit, compliance, claims departments, we are all customers to each other in providing service to the ultimate customer out there," he stated.
Faleye added that the manner in which employees respond to colleagues from other departments could determine how efficiently the organisation meets the needs of its external customers.
While acknowledging the efforts of staff working under challenging conditions, he assured them that management would continue to provide the necessary tools and a conducive working environment to improve efficiency.
"We will continue to evolve. We will continue to provide the necessary tools for you to do those things in a much more efficient manner," he assured.
The NSITF boss expressed satisfaction with the improvement in public perception of the Fund over the past one to two years, expressing confidence that consistent efforts to exceed expectations would produce further gains.
He said the organisation had made progress in demonstrating its capacity to serve Nigerians better but stressed that sustained commitment to improved service delivery remained necessary.
Faleye thanked employees for their dedication and wished them a successful Customer Service Week, Month and Year.
As part of activities lined up for the 2026 celebration, the Fund is scheduled to hold a cultural day on Wednesday, October 14, while the Managing Director's Football Cup match will take place on Thursday, October 15.
Customer Service Week is an annual global observance held during the first full week of October to promote customer service excellence and recognise the contributions of customer service professionals.
The event was proclaimed a national observance in the United States in 1992 through a joint resolution of Congress and has since been adopted in more than 60 countries, including Nigeria.
Organisations across the public and private sectors use the celebration to appreciate employees, renew their commitment to customer satisfaction and strengthen relationships with customers.
This year's global theme, "The Extra Mile – Going Above and Beyond," encourages organisations to exceed expectations by providing proactive, personalised and efficient services.
For the NSITF, the celebration underscores its responsibility as Nigeria's apex social insurance institution, established under the Employees' Compensation Act, 2010, to administer the Employees' Compensation Scheme (ECS).
The scheme provides compensation to employees who suffer work-related injuries, occupational diseases, disabilities or death in the course of their employment.
The Fund serves a broad range of stakeholders, including workers and employers in the public and private sectors, labour unions, dependants of deceased employees and other participants in the occupational safety and health sector.