The Institute of Leadership, Coaching and Strategy has called on Nigeria to move beyond enacting laws and establishing institutions for social protection. Instead, the country should focus on measuring the effectiveness of these frameworks in delivering benefits to ordinary citizens. According to the institute, the existence of laws covering pensions, employee compensation, health insurance, unemployment, and social assistance does not, by itself, amount to an effective social-security system.
The President and Chairman of the governing council of the institute, Dr. Olasunkade Azeez, raised these concerns during the institute's eighth monthly webinar series. The webinar, held on September 18, had the theme, "Social Security in Nigeria: A Myth or Reality?" Dr. Azeez emphasized that the country's social-security debate should shift from the existence of legislation to the extent to which those laws translate into meaningful protection for Nigerians facing poverty, unemployment, retirement insecurity, healthcare costs, disability, and old age.
Dr. Azeez noted that social security is not merely a matter of welfare or government benevolence. It is closely connected to questions of rights, justice, economic security, responsible governance, social inclusion, and sustainable national development. He added that Nigeria had developed some laws, regulations, policies, and institutions intended to provide social protection and security for different categories of citizens and workers. However, the effectiveness of those arrangements cannot be determined simply by their existence.
The institute's call for evaluation comes amid continuing efforts by the Federal Government and development partners to widen social-protection coverage. According to the International Labour Organisation, more than 60 million Nigerians lacked pensions, health insurance, maternity protection, or employment-injury compensation as of December 2025. Informal workers account for most of the country's labor force.
Dr. Azeez argued that a sustainable social-security system requires adequate financing, sound public policy, effective institutions, responsible leadership, transparency, and accountability. It also requires a social compact in which citizens understand both their rights and responsibilities. The institute president emphasized that the discussion must take account of the economic pressures that leave households vulnerable, including poverty, unemployment, and healthcare costs.
The institute president also called for employers, professional bodies, civil society organisations, communities, and individuals to play a role in strengthening the country's social-protection system. He urged policymakers and other stakeholders to consider what kind of social-security architecture Nigeria would need in the future rather than limiting the debate to immediate problems. Dr. Azeez emphasized that leadership is not simply about occupying positions of authority but about creating systems that improve the quality of human life.
The webinar featured a legal perspective from Kehinde Hasaan Bamiwola, an institute Fellow and lawyer. Dr. Azeez said the institute deliberately framed the discussion around whether social security in Nigeria was "a myth or a reality." He concluded that the objective should not be to settle the question rhetorically but to identify the gaps in the system and develop practical responses towards a more inclusive and sustainable social security system for Nigeria.
Key points
- The Institute of Leadership, Coaching and Strategy calls for Nigeria to evaluate the effectiveness of its social security frameworks.
- Nigeria's social security system requires adequate financing, sound public policy, and effective institutions.
- The country needs a social compact where citizens understand their rights and responsibilities.
