Compliance (PENCOM, NSITF, ITF)
The NSITF compliance certificate, explained.
NSITF compliance certificate: what it proves, how the employer's monthly contribution works, the evidence you need and how to get it for tenders.
The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) administers the Employees' Compensation Scheme (ECS) under the Employees' Compensation Act 2010. Employers contribute a share of their monthly payroll into the fund, which pays out to employees injured or killed at work. The NSITF Compliance Certificate proves an employer is up to date on those contributions — and public and large corporate tenders usually ask for it.
This guide explains how the contribution works, what evidence the certificate needs, and how to obtain it without a bid being rejected.
How the ECS contribution works
Under the Act, any employer with one or more employees must register with the NSITF and contribute 1% of total monthly payroll, due within the first two working days of each month. The contribution is the employer's obligation — it is not deducted from staff salaries the way pension contributions are split. Remit monthly and keep the receipts; that record is what the compliance certificate rests on.
Because it is payroll-based, the certificate effectively confirms two things at once: that you have employees, and that you are funding their workplace-injury cover.
What the certificate needs
NSITF issues the compliance certificate when your contribution record is current. Typically you provide:
- Evidence of monthly ECS contributions for the relevant period.
- Your payroll basis — the figure the contribution is calculated on.
- Remittance receipts from the NSITF payment channel.
- Company details consistent with your CAC record (RC number, name).
- Your NSITF employer registration, if not already registered.
Register first if you never have
A company that has employed staff but never registered with the NSITF needs to register before it can be issued a compliance certificate. Registration plus back-contributions for the period you were liable is the catch-up path. There is no way to get a current certificate while skipping the periods you should have contributed.
Registration now runs on the NSITF self-service portal (ecsonline.nsitf.gov.ng), which also takes contributions and certificate fees.
How to obtain it
The application compiles the contribution evidence and submits it to the NSITF. See the price and target time on the NSITF compliance certificate page, and the NSITF hub.
On Docufy you upload your employee schedule and NSITF remittance receipts from your phone, and pay once. A vetted partner firm files the application, and the certificate lands in your vault as a PDF with a verify link. You see the full price before you pay, and there is no markup on government fees.
Where it fits in the tender pack
NSITF sits alongside PenCom, ITF and the tax clearance certificate from the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), formerly FIRS, as the standard tender compliance pack. Procuring entities usually ask for all of them together, and a single missing certificate can disqualify the bid.
Guides say the certificate lasts one year, though NSITF’s own pages do not state a validity, and tenders usually ask for one valid until 31 December of the bidding year. Renew it as part of a standing compliance cycle rather than scrambling per tender: the compliance deadline calendar marks the day tender certificates lapse each year. See the tender compliance certificates checklist for the full list.
Questions
Frequently asked.
What is the NSITF compliance certificate?
It is proof that an employer is current on its Employees' Compensation Scheme contributions to the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund. Public and large corporate tenders require it as part of the compliance pack.
Who pays the NSITF contribution — employer or employee?
The employer. Unlike pension contributions, the ECS contribution is the employer's sole obligation: 1% of total monthly payroll, not deducted from staff salaries.
My company never registered with NSITF. What do I do?
Register with the NSITF first, then make the contributions for the period you were liable. You cannot obtain a current certificate while skipping the periods you should have contributed.
How long is the certificate valid?
Guides say one year, though NSITF’s own pages do not state a validity. Tenders usually ask for one valid until 31 December of the bidding year, so most employers renew it annually as part of their standing compliance pack.
Do I need NSITF together with PenCom and ITF?
For most public tenders, yes. PenCom, NSITF, ITF and a tax clearance certificate from the NRS (formerly FIRS) are typically requested together, and a single missing certificate can disqualify the bid.
Sources
- Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund: FAQs on the Employees' Compensation Act 2010 (nsitf.gov.ng home page)
- NSITF Services: For Employers and Payments (nsitf.gov.ng)
- How to Process NSITF, ITF and BPP Compliance Certificates (Koriat Law, Oct 2023)
- FCTA invitation to tender (Sept 2026) — Naija Business
Fees and rules last checked 27 Sep 2026. The agency that issues the document has the final word. See our editorial policy.
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