By Ruth Oketunde
Abuja + The Federation of Informal Workers Organisation of Nigeria says it is engaging Trust Fund Pension Ltd. in sensitising workers in private sector to importance of having a viable pension scheme before retirement.
Mr Gbenga Komolafe, the Secretary-General of the federation, said in Abuja on Wednesday while he inaugurated the sensitisation workshop that a proper managed workable pension scheme would guarantee private sector workers after retirement.
He said “informers workers operate in small or undefined work places, unsafe and unhealthy work conditions with low level of skills and productivity, low or irregular incomes’’ and they should have a planned pension scheme to fall back on.
Komolafe solicited the expansion of the scope of the 2014 Pension Act to include informer workers, suggesting that informal workers contributions should be complemented by state governments.
He also demanded for the expansion of the scope of the National Health Insurance Scheme to include informal workers’ needs for healthcare, maternity care and accident insurance.
“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing and medical care and necessary social services,’’ he said.
He appealed to informal workers to start plans on how to save for the future by engaging in workable pension schemes.
He also appealed to the Federal Government to encourage the informal workers by fund in part such pension scheme in the private sector.
He his speech, Mr Stephen Opara, Business Manager, Abuja office of Trust Fund Pension Ltd., advised the private sector workers to invest their resources in ventures that could yield returns.