By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
ABUJA— THE Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Mr Oluwaseun Faleye, has urged staff to build a lasting culture of empathy, collaboration and excellent service delivery, saying that going beyond routine expectations would strengthen public confidence in the Fund.
Faleye gave the charge on Tuesday in Abuja at the flag-off of the 2026 Customer Service Week celebration at the NSITF headquarters.
The NSITF boss said the theme of this year’s celebration, “Go the Extra Mile,” should not be treated as a slogan for one week, but adopted as a permanent work ethic across all departments of 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 internally as we collaborate to make our service to customers exemplary, but also to the outside world, to leave a great perception of the Fund,” he said.
According to him, consistent excellent service would shape how Nigerians perceive and experience the NSITF, while also giving staff personal fulfilment for doing their best for the public.
“Going the extra mile will give us the extra edge: the extra edge in how people perceive us, the extra edge in how people experience NSITF, and the extra edge in personal satisfaction, knowing that you are doing your best for people,” Faleye stated.
The NSITF chief executive described the Fund’s mandate as sensitive and, in some respects, paternal, requiring staff to show empathy, sensitivity and understanding when dealing with injured workers, employers and dependants.
“You know, the sort of service that we deliver is very important and sometimes quite paternal in nature. It means that we must show empathy, sensitivity and understanding when we deal with people,” he said.
Faleye cautioned staff against reducing Customer Service Week to a ceremonial event, urging them to reflect on how small habits and individual efforts can drive collective success.
“I don’t want us to use this moment—the week or the month—as a customer-service-oriented period and afterwards return to our usual ways. I want us to sustain the momentum going forward, because it is through sustained and enhanced customer service delivery that we can become better,” he stressed.
He also emphasised internal collaboration as the foundation of excellent external service, noting that every department serves as a customer to the other.
“I don’t want you to see customer service as an external-facing matter alone. Inspection and audit, compliance, claims—we are all customers to one another in providing service to the ultimate customer out there,” he explained.
“So, how you treat a colleague from another department who has come to ask for something will affect how the customer out there sees us,” Faleye added.
While acknowledging that many staff members deliver their best under challenging conditions, the Managing Director assured them that management would continue to provide a conducive work environment and the necessary tools for efficient service delivery.
“We will continue to evolve. We will continue to provide the necessary tools for you to carry out these responsibilities in a much more efficient manner,” he assured.
Faleye expressed satisfaction that public perception of the NSITF had improved over the past one to two years, saying sustained extra-mile service would help the Fund achieve even more.
“I am glad to say that in the last couple of months, in the last year or two, we have seen an improvement in the perception of what we can do, how we can do better, and that we will do better. With an extra mile, we will get there,” he said.
He thanked staff for their dedication and wished them a successful Customer Service Week, Month and Year.
As part of the 2026 Customer Service Week, the NSITF has scheduled a Cultural Day for Wednesday, October 14, and the MD’s Football Cup match for Thursday, October 15.
Customer Service Week is observed globally in the first full week of October to raise awareness about customer service and recognise the contribution of service professionals.
The United States Congress proclaimed it a national event through a joint resolution in 1992. It has since been adopted in more than 60 countries, including Nigeria, where businesses and public-sector organisations use it to appreciate frontline staff, reaffirm service commitments and strengthen customer loyalty.
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