Senate has passed for second reading, a bill to repeal the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and the Employees’ Compensation Acts, to enact the Nigeria Social Security Trust Fund Act 2025.

This followed the presentation of the general principles of the bill at plenary on Tuesday by the sponsor of the bill, Sen. Fasuyi Cyril (APC-Ekiti).

The bill seeks to consolidate both acts to make provisions for compensations for any death, injury, disease or disability, arising out of or in the course of work in the public and private workplaces.

Fasuyi, while presenting the general principles of said that the bill would consolidate the provisions of both acts into a single comprehensive legislation and establish the Nigeria Social Security Trust Fund.

According to him, the purpose of the consolidation is to harmonise the existing laws on social insurance, employees’ compensation, and ultimately eliminate duplication of functions.

He said that the bill would create a unified legal framework for the management of social security in Nigeria.

“The bill will ensure effective protection of employees in both formal and informal sectors against workplace injuries, disabilities, unemployment, retirement, and other contingencies that may threaten their livelihood.

“The objectives of the bill are to harmonise existing laws by consolidating the provisions of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund Act and the Employees Compensation Act into one unified legal framework.

“To establish the Nigeria Social Security Trust Fund as a central institution
for management, administration, and disbursement of social security funds in Nigeria.”

He said that the bill would expand social protection coverage, ensuring that workers in both formal and informal sectors benefit from schemes while addressing employment injuries, disabilities, unemployment, retirement, and health costs contingencies.

Fasuyi said that the bill guaranteed sustainable financing through the pulling of contributions from employers, employees, government, and other approved sources for the effective management of
social security.

He also said that the bill has the objective to ensure accountability and transparency by streamlining governance, structure, and eliminating duplication of functions in the administration of social security.

Fasuyi said that the bill aligned with international best practices in labour protection and social insurance and consistent with international labour organisation standards and global social security norms.

Supporting the bill, Sen. Adams Oshomole (APC-Edo) said that the bill sought to solve the confusion on management and administration of social security matters.

He said that the bill was consistent with government’s commitment to reduce overhead and avoid internal conflict of jurisdiction by management of social insurance trust funds.

Other lawmakers who supported the second reading of the bill were Sen. Simon Lalong (APC-Plateau, Diket Plang (APC- Plateau) and Victor Umeh (LP -Anambra).

President of Senate, Godswill Akpabio, after the second reading of the bill, referred it to Committee on Labour, Employment, and Productivity for further legislative inputs and to revert back in four weeks.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has cautioned the federal government against using the reports of an alleged coup plot as a pretext to clamp down on opposition leaders or subject dissenting voices to unlawful surveillance.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said it views any threat to Nigeria’s democratic order with the utmost seriousness.

However, it warned that the government must not exploit the situation to instil fear, suppress dissent, or seek political advantage under the guise of national security.

The ADC said it has been closely following reports linking some arrested military officers to a purported coup plot and subsequent media claims that a former southern governor is being investigated for allegedly funding the suspects.

“While we vehemently oppose any effort to undermine Nigeria’s constitutional order, we are equally concerned about the potential misuse of such allegations to justify political witch-hunts, suppress dissent, or manipulate public sentiment,” the statement said.

The party also expressed worry over “conflicting signals” from government sources, noting that the Defence Headquarters had publicly denied ever mentioning a coup plot despite widespread media reports suggesting otherwise. “Such inconsistency raises serious fears that the coup narrative may have been politically engineered,” it added.

The ADC faulted the government’s silence on the matter, describing it as a deliberate attempt to allow the story to fester. It is alleged that the administration might be exploiting the narrative to divert public attention from issues of misgovernance and to gain sympathy.

“What is clear, however, is that the government is using the coup story to distract from pressing national challenges and create a pretext to clamp down on opposition figures or place them under surveillance,” the statement continued.

The party urged the federal government to immediately clarify the true nature of the alleged coup. “The government has a duty to decisively quash the swirling rumour. Conversely, if there is indeed any such threat to national security, it must be transparent about it and brief the nation accordingly,” Abdullahi stated.

He emphasised that national security should never be weaponised to silence opposition voices or legitimate political dissent.

“The ADC remains resolute in its opposition to dictatorship of any form—whether military or civilian. We support any lawful measures taken to defend the constitution and democracy, but we reject any ploy to intimidate citizens under the guise of national security,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State on Tuesday said that Nigeria’s opposition parties had failed woefully on all counts, describing them as directionless.

The APC Spokesman, Mr Seye Oladejo, in a statement in Lagos, said the party observed with grave concern the deteriorating state of the so-called opposition parties in Nigeria.

He said that absence of credible opposition was not good as the nation gradually approaches the 2027 general elections.

“Rather than serve as credible watchdogs, policy challengers, or intellectual counterweights to the ruling party, the opposition has degenerated into a coalition of desperation, confusion, and hypocrisy – the very bane of Nigeria’s democratic growth.

“The health of any democracy is measured by the quality, depth, and seriousness of its opposition – its ideas, organisation, and consistency.

“Sadly, Nigeria’s opposition has failed woefully on all counts. It lacks leadership, cohesion, and a binding political philosophy.

“The nation has watched in disbelief as individuals who once claimed to stand for ideological purity now leapfrog from one platform to another in search of personal relevance.

“The opposition’s moral compass has been completely eroded, leaving behind a band of opportunists united only by their lust for power,” Oladejo said.

According to him, today’s reality of opposition stands in sharp contrast to the opposition years under the leadership of now President Bola Tinubu.

Describing Tinubu as a master political strategist and democrat, he said that the former opposition leader, now president, built a formidable coalition rooted in principles, ideas, and structure.

He said that Tinubu’s opposition politics was defined by clarity of purpose, ideological direction, and consistency of engagement.

“He offered Nigerians a credible alternative founded on progressivism, good governance, and national unity,” he said.

Oladejo said that It was that brand of purposeful and issue-driven opposition that gave birth to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

” The APC of today is a testament to what visionary and responsible opposition politics can achieve when driven by patriotism rather than personal ambition,” he said.

He said that President Tinubu’s administration had continued to pursue the Renewed Hope Agenda with courage and clarity.

Oladejo also said that the President had been implementing tough but necessary reforms to reposition the economy and restore national pride.

“The APC finds it troubling that none of the opposition parties has presented any coherent roadmap for the economy, security, education, or social development.

“Their default strategy remains to demonise government policies while offering no credible alternatives.

“Such an unserious and visionless opposition can only undermine the progress of democracy by reducing public discourse to noise and confusion,” he added.

According to him, Nigerians are fast losing interest in a political opposition that neither inspires confidence nor offers any hope of genuine change.

“Democracy thrives on choice – and when one side of the political divide consistently fails to evolve, citizens naturally disengage from the process.

“Let it be known that democracy thrives not just on the conduct of elections but on the quality of engagement between the ruling party and a constructive opposition.

“Unfortunately, what we have today is a fragmented assemblage of self-appointed messiahs and expired politicians who mistake social media noise for national relevance,” he said.