Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Oluwaseun Faleye, has challenged staff to earn public trust through better service, empathy and teamwork, warning that the gains made in the Fund’s public image could be lost without a sustained commitment to meeting people’s needs.
Faleye gave the charge on Tuesday in Abuja while flagging off the 2026 Customer Service Week at the Fund’s headquarters, urging staff to make the theme, “Go the Extra Mile,” a daily work ethic rather than a slogan for the annual celebration.
He said how staff treat colleagues, workers, employers and other members of the public would shape how Nigerians see and experience the Fund.
“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 said going beyond routine duties would help the NSITF build on improvements in public perception while giving staff greater satisfaction in their work.
“Going the extra mile will give us the extra edge. The extra edge in terms of how people perceive us, the extra edge in terms of how people experience NSITF and, of course, the extra edge in terms of personal satisfaction knowing that you are doing your best for people,” he added.
He stressed that empathy was particularly important to the Fund’s work because many of the people who depend on its services are dealing with the consequences of workplace injuries, illnesses, disabilities or the loss of a loved one.
“The sort of service that we deliver is very important and sometimes quite paternal in nature. And it means that we must show empathy, we must show sensitivity and understanding when we deal with people,” Faleye said.
The NSITF boss warned staff against returning to old habits after the celebration, insisting that better service must continue throughout the year.
“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,” he said.
Faleye also reminded staff that customer service was not limited to interactions with people outside the organisation. He said cooperation between departments was equally important because delays or poor communication within the Fund could affect the service ultimately received by workers and employers.
He cited inspection, audit, compliance and claims as examples of departments that depend on one another to deliver effective service.
“How you treat your colleague from another department that has come to ask for something that will impact how the customer out there sees us,” he said.
Acknowledging the challenges staff sometimes face in carrying out their duties, Faleye assured them that management would continue to provide the tools needed to make their work more efficient.
“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 said.
He expressed satisfaction with what he described as an improvement in the Fund’s public image over the past one to two years, adding that sustained efforts to serve customers better would help maintain that progress.
“I am glad to say that in the last couple of months, in the last year or two, we’ve seen an increase in the better perception of what we can do, how we can do better and we will do better. So with an extra mile, we will get there,” he said.
Faleye thanked staff for their dedication and wished them a successful Customer Service Week, Month and Year.
The Fund has scheduled a cultural day for Wednesday, October 14, as part of the celebration, followed by the Managing Director’s Football Cup match on Thursday, October 15.
Customer Service Week is observed annually during the first full week of October to recognise customer service professionals and promote better service delivery. The 2026 theme, “The Extra Mile – Going Above and Beyond,” encourages organisations to exceed expectations in their dealings with customers.
