Data Science Platform workers, gig economy in our plans… NSITF MD Faleye

Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Barr. Oluwaseun Faleye, has said issues around the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially as regards platform workers and the gig economy, are being given priority attention by the Fund.

Faleye stated this while fielding questions in response to the presentation of the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, at the General Assembly of the 114th Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Minister had, in his presentation, called for inclusive and human-centred artificial intelligence (AI) policies that protect jobs and workers’ rights while harnessing the transformative potential of technology to drive economic growth and decent work.

Commending the minister’s presentation in an interview, Barr. Faleye said, “I think it’s a very robust response, particularly as it deals with emerging issues in the place of work generally. You will recall that some of the key issues that we’ve been dealing with within the labour ecosystem have been the treatment of platform workers, the gig economy, and, of course, the impact of AI on labour and workers generally.

“It’s important that we recognise that AI is here to stay, and the more governments and institutions like ours understand the implications of AI on workers, on the role of workers and the workplace, the more it is that we’re able to, of course, engage on relevant solutions to it, and I’m glad that the Minister touched on that.

“But importantly, it’s also to look at the treatment of platform workers and the gig economy to understand how to better provide and provide support and provide what is required to assimilate them”.

Speaking further, the Managing Director noted that “You know that traditionally, labour has been defined within the context of formal workplace economy, but recent innovations now entails people working from home, people working on platforms like Uber and Bolt, etc, and then there’s a need to now define appropriate was to measure their role and their impact, and for us at NSITF to begin to understand how best to situate our mandate within those new work realities, and I’m glad that the foremost ministry responsible for driving and articulating policies within our labour ecosystem is at the forefront of that”, he explained.

Speaking on plans to engage workers generally classified as independent contractors rather than formalemployees, the MD disclosed that “I think the core engagement is really dimensioning what is termed as a workplace within those platform workers’ ecosystem. It is also to fashion out our best to engage in terms of their contributions, and of course, to articulate our best to also provide compensation for them in place of workplace injury. You know, for us, we’re grappling with the idea of, within our system, when does injury occur, and where is the workplace for those platform workers?

“Particularly, if you understand those who are working from home, at what point can we better understand when an injury occurs and whether that injury is in relation to work or something else?

“I think sitting down with the relevant stakeholders to discuss this, which this conference provides, is the right step in the right direction, and we’re really glad to be part of that discussion,” he stated.

Faleye commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for creating the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, saying, “we cannot be left behind in innovations, the digital innovations that are driving business activities and are driving the workplace worldwide,

“You will see, like the Minister said, we have infused that into our Public Service recently. The Civil Service is now much more embedded with AI, using AI to really provide services going forward, and I’m sure they will get better with it,” he said.
Platform workers provide paid labour services through digital applications such as delivery apps and online freelance market places.