The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) Compliance Certificate is an important statutory compliance document for businesses that intend to participate in government procurement and other formal contracting opportunities in Nigeria.
Companies bidding for contracts with Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and businesses dealing with other organisations that require statutory compliance documentation, may be required to provide evidence of compliance with the Employees' Compensation Scheme (ECS) administered by NSITF.
NSITF has significantly modernised its employer services. The Fund now provides a digital Employer Self-Service Portal through which employers can register, manage employee information, make contributions, apply for compliance certificates and manage other ECS-related obligations.
This guide explains how to register your company with NSITF, enrol employees, calculate contributions, make payments and obtain the NSITF Certificate of Compliance.
The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) administers the Employees' Compensation Scheme (ECS) under the Employees' Compensation Act 2010.
The scheme provides compensation and other support to employees who suffer work-related:
Injury
Occupational disease
Disability
Death
Other compensable employment-related conditions.
The scheme also provides benefits to dependants where an employee dies as a result of a work-related incident or occupational disease. NSITF describes the ECS as a no-fault compensation scheme, meaning compensation is not dependent on proving that an employer was at fault.
The scheme covers workers in both the public and private sectors, including contract, casual and outsourced workers and apprentices, subject to the applicable provisions of the law.
An NSITF Certificate of Compliance is evidence that an employer has complied with its applicable obligations under the Employees' Compensation Scheme.
The current NSITF employer platform provides a dedicated service for issuance or renewal of the NSITF Certificate of Compliance.
The certificate may be requested during procurement exercises, particularly where a tender requires evidence of statutory compliance.
However, businesses should always read the specific tender or procurement notice because the documents required can differ from one procurement to another.
Government procurement processes commonly require bidders to demonstrate statutory and regulatory compliance.
Depending on the procurement, a bidder may be required to submit documents relating to:
Tax compliance
Pension compliance
Industrial Training Fund (ITF) compliance
NSITF compliance
Corporate registration
Professional registration
Technical capacity
Financial capacity
Previous experience.
Therefore, companies intending to participate regularly in public procurement should treat NSITF compliance as part of their ongoing corporate compliance rather than waiting until a tender is advertised.
The Employees' Compensation Scheme is funded by the employer.
NSITF currently states that employers contribute 1% of total monthly payroll under the ECS. The contribution is employer-funded and is not deducted from employees' salaries as an employee contribution.
If a company's total monthly payroll is:
β¦5,000,000
The monthly ECS contribution at 1% would be:
β¦5,000,000 × 1% = β¦50,000
Annual contribution:
β¦50,000 × 12 = β¦600,000
The actual amount payable should, however, be based on the payroll information and assessment applicable to the employer through the NSITF system.
This distinction is important.
There are essentially two related stages:
The company is registered with NSITF under the Employees' Compensation Scheme and obtains an ECS registration number.
The employer makes the required ECS contributions and maintains its obligations under the scheme.
The employer can then obtain or renew its NSITF Certificate of Compliance when the applicable requirements have been satisfied.
NSITF's current service platform separates employer onboarding, monthly contributions and compliance certificate services.
Before starting the registration, prepare accurate company and payroll information.
The current NSITF employer registration form identifies information including:
Employer/company name
CAC incorporation/registration number
Business address
Telephone number
Email address
Other business locations, where applicable
Whether the business commenced before the Employees' Compensation Act
Owner information for partnerships and sole proprietorships
Business sector/category
Authorised person's details and declaration.
You should also prepare your employee information and payroll records.
The NSITF system requires employers to maintain employee information for the Employees' Compensation Scheme.
Prepare a list containing relevant information for each employee.
Depending on the current portal fields, this may include information such as:
Employee name
Date of birth
Gender
Employment details
Job designation
Salary/remuneration information
Date of employment
Employee identification information
Other information requested by the portal.
The current NSITF platform supports bulk employee upload, which makes it possible for employers with larger workforces to submit employee information electronically.
NSITF has moved its employer services to a dedicated digital platform.
Visit:
NSITF Employer Onboarding Portal
The portal provides options for:
New Employer — Create Account
Existing Employer — Login
Registered in-branch — Reset Password.
If the company has never registered with NSITF electronically, select:
Create Account
Provide the company information requested by the portal.
Ensure that the information matches the company's official corporate records.
Pay particular attention to:
Company name
CAC registration number
Address
Telephone number
Email address
Business sector
Contact person's details.
The employer registration process requires information about the organisation.
The official NSITF employer registration form includes sections for:
This includes:
Employer name
Incorporation number
Address
Telephone
Other business locations.
For partnerships and sole proprietorships, information about the owner or proprietor may be required.
The registration form provides categories including:
Construction
Mining
Banking and Finance
Manufacturing
Aviation
MDAs
Oil and Gas
Agriculture
Energy
Telecommunications
Other sectors.
After successful employer onboarding, the system provides an ECS registration number.
The current NSITF portal specifically states that new employers can register their organisation to obtain an ECS number.
Keep this number securely because it is used to identify the employer within the NSITF system.
After employer registration, proceed to the employee registration section.
If your company has only a few employees, you may be able to enter the information individually.
For companies with many employees, NSITF's current system supports bulk employee upload.
Ensure that employee information is accurate.
Your payroll records should correspond with the information submitted to NSITF.
The NSITF contribution is calculated based on payroll.
NSITF currently states that employers are required to make a minimum contribution of 1% of total monthly payroll.
Employers are also expected to provide records of earnings paid to employees in the preceding year and an estimate for the current year.
This means businesses should maintain accurate payroll records.
After registration and payroll declaration, the company must make its applicable ECS contributions.
NSITF's current Employer Self-Service Portal supports online payment of:
ECS registration
Monthly contributions
Compliance certificate fees
Inspection liability payments.
This represents a significant change from older NSITF registration procedures that directed applicants to obtain invoices and make payments through designated banks or Remita.
Employers should use the current payment instructions displayed on the NSITF portal.
NSITF compliance is not simply a one-time registration exercise.
Employers are expected to continue making the applicable contributions.
NSITF's service charter states that employers should make contributions promptly within the specified timeframe and identifies monthly, quarterly or yearly payment arrangements.
The current employer portal also provides functionality for managing monthly contributions and monthly returns.
Once the employer has satisfied the applicable requirements, use the Employer Self-Service Portal to request the Certificate of Compliance.
NSITF's current platform specifically provides a service for:
Certificate of Compliance — Issuance or renewal of the NSITF Certificate of Compliance.
The certificate should be downloaded and kept in the company's compliance records.
NSITF's published Service Charter lists fees associated with registration and compliance certification.
The 2024 Service Charter states:
New Registration: β¦20,000
Request for Compliance Certificate: β¦30,000
It also states that employers who have paid contributions for one year may request the yearly compliance certificate.
Because NSITF is now operating an updated digital platform, applicants should confirm the amount displayed on the Employer Self-Service Portal before making payment.
Do not rely exclusively on old articles or payment instructions reproduced on third-party websites.
NSITF's Service Charter describes the certificate as a yearly Compliance Certificate and states that employers who pay contributions for one year may request it.
Therefore, businesses should treat NSITF compliance as an annual requirement and monitor the certificate's validity.
Do not wait until the day a tender closes before discovering that the certificate has expired.
NSITF has a compliance and workplace inspection function.
The Fund's current services include:
OSH and HSE workplace audits
Workplace inspections
Accident investigation
Employer compliance activities.
NSITF also states that employers are expected to allow its supervision team access to relevant records.
Therefore, while registration and payment can now be handled digitally, employers should maintain proper payroll, employee and workplace records and be prepared for any assessment or inspection required by NSITF.
Older guides to NSITF registration commonly state that an NSITF officer must physically assess the company's employee wages before the certificate can be issued.
That description is now incomplete.
NSITF has moved to a digital-first employer service model covering employer onboarding, payroll integration, employee uploads, monthly returns, contributions and compliance certification.
However, this does not mean that NSITF has abandoned verification, supervision or workplace assessment.
The Fund's current service information states that employers must allow NSITF's supervision team access to relevant records, while its HSE function conducts workplace audits and inspections.
Therefore, the better approach is:
Register online → provide accurate payroll information → make required contributions → maintain records → comply with any NSITF verification/inspection requirements → obtain the certificate.
A company seeking NSITF compliance should maintain a dedicated compliance folder containing:
CAC Certificate
CAC registration details
Company address
Relevant corporate documents.
ECS Registration Number
Registration confirmation
Payment receipts
Monthly contribution records
Compliance certificates
Previous NSITF correspondence.
Employee register
Payroll
Employment records
Staff identification information
Salary/remuneration records.
Where required for a tender, also maintain:
Tax Clearance Certificate
Pension Compliance Certificate
ITF Compliance Certificate
Other relevant statutory documents.
For businesses bidding for Federal Government contracts, NSITF compliance should be considered alongside other statutory requirements.
A Federal procurement opportunity may request:
BPP registration evidence
Tax clearance
Pension compliance
ITF compliance
NSITF compliance
CAC documents
Professional licences
Evidence of previous experience
Financial capacity
Technical capacity.
The exact requirements depend on the procurement.
Therefore, a company should not assume that obtaining an NSITF certificate alone makes it eligible for every government tender.
Always read the specific tender notice.
Small businesses should not assume that NSITF requirements apply only to large companies.
The Employees' Compensation Scheme is designed to protect employees, and NSITF states that the scheme covers workers across the public and private sectors, including contract, casual and outsourced workers and apprentices.
The appropriate compliance obligation should therefore be determined based on the company's status, employees and applicable law.
Businesses should not rely on informal claims that a company is "too small" to require NSITF registration without confirming the applicable rules.
One of the main reasons NSITF compliance matters is that the ECS provides protection when workers suffer employment-related injury, disease, disability or death.
Depending on the circumstances, benefits can include:
Medical treatment
Medical and surgical care
Income replacement
Temporary disability benefits
Permanent disability compensation
Death benefits
Support for dependants
Rehabilitation and vocational retraining.
NSITF describes the scheme as a no-fault system.
Employers should also understand their reporting obligations.
NSITF's Service Charter states that workplace accidents should be reported to the nearest NSITF office within 21 days of the incident.
Businesses should therefore have an internal process for:
Recording workplace incidents
Providing immediate assistance to affected workers
Documenting the incident
Obtaining relevant medical records
Reporting to NSITF within the applicable timeframe.
NSITF's current claims procedures require specific forms and supporting documents depending on whether the case involves injury, disability, occupational disease or death.
NSITF now provides an online certificate verification service.
If you have an NSITF certificate number, you can verify its authenticity and validity through the official verification page.
NSITF Certificate Verification
This is particularly useful for organisations, procuring entities and businesses that need to confirm the validity of an NSITF certificate.
Older articles often direct users to the previous NSITF registration interface.
The current employer registration platform is:
NSITF Employer Self-Service Portal
Do not wait until you need to submit a bid before starting NSITF registration.
The registration, payroll, contribution and compliance processes should be handled in advance.
NSITF contributions are based on payroll.
Employers should provide accurate information and maintain records that support the payroll figures submitted.
Registration is not the end of the compliance process.
Employers have continuing contribution and reporting obligations. NSITF's current platform supports monthly contributions and returns.
Government tenders can have short submission periods.
Maintain a calendar showing:
NSITF certificate expiry date → renewal date → next tender deadline.
NSITF is not simply a certificate-issuing organisation.
Its mandate also includes workplace safety, audits, inspections and accident investigation.
Employers should therefore maintain appropriate workplace health and safety practices.
Before starting, prepare the following:
β CAC registration/incorporation details
β Company name and address
β Company contact information
β Authorised contact person's details
β Business sector/category
β Employee register
β Employee payroll information
β Total monthly payroll
β Relevant employee identification information
β ECS registration details, if already registered
β Access to the company's registration email
β Relevant payment information
β Previous NSITF records, where applicable.
The current process can be summarised as:
1. Create NSITF Employer Account
↓
2. Register the Organisation
↓
3. Obtain ECS Number
↓
4. Register/Upload Employees
↓
5. Declare Payroll
↓
6. Calculate and Pay 1% ECS Contribution
↓
7. Maintain Monthly/Periodic Compliance
↓
8. Apply for Certificate of Compliance
↓
9. Download/Keep the Certificate
↓
10. Renew When Due
Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund
NSITF Employer Self-Service Portal
NSITF Certificate Verification Portal
NSITF currently lists its toll-free contact number as 0800 223 0400 and another contact number as 0700 312 2400. It also provides a customer-support email at customersupportcentre@nsitf.gov.ng.
