76 Oil Wells: Injustice and the Rising of the Cross River. Emmanuel Ulayi, PhD

I am writing  this piece from Indianapolis, Indiana, USA where I spent a white Christmas resting away from my extremely tight schedule back home in Nigeria. I needed the rest after two years without vacation. But the below 46`F average daily weather proves a little tough for me to handle. 

However, news of renewed effort by my governor, His Excellency, Senator Prince Bassey Otu, supported by other leaders in Cross Rivers State warms my heart beyond measure. 

Unfolding developments in my home state of Cross River has always been crucial particularly as it relates to the public hearings of the Federal Government Inter Agency Technical Committee Programme set up by the father of the new Nigeria, President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to revisit the issue of the disputed 76 oil wells belonging to Cross Rivers State but which revenues have been unjustly allocated to Akwa Ibom State since 2012.

As a Cross Rivers indigene and a former government functionary, I am acutely aware of the case and the implications of the loss of revenues from those oil wells for the development of the state. From a comfortable position as an oil-producing state with revenues from the derivation formula and taxes on oil companies, the state dropped overnight among the states with the least allocations from the Federation account while its internally generated revenue also took a deep dive.     

And the real cost: loss of precious lives of Cross-Riverians in road accidents due to bad roads; the women and the children who died of snakebite and other ailments for lack of drugs in government health facilities etc.

But how did we get here?  Nigeria and Cameroon had been at loggerheads over the Bakassi Peninsula. General Sani Abacha instituted a case at the International Court of Justice to determine the ownership. The judgement of the World Court in 2002 gave a part of the peninsula to Cameroon. Capitalising on the onshore-offshore derivation dichotomy, Akwa-Ibom State pursued a legal case culminating in the judgement of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2012 which held that Cross River State, by virtue of the ICJ ruling could no longer claim offshore wells solely on the claim of being a littoral state.

Cross River had maintained it still had access to the open sea through the Cross River estuary and so should continue to benefit from the 76 oil wells within its waters boundary. Akwa-Ibom countered relying solely on administrative interpretations.

However, with that ruling of the Supreme Court, Akwa-Ibom State has been collecting revenues due from the oil wells as well as other wells adding up to 246 ever since leaving the former high and dry.

Successive administrations in Cross River State have complained because of the cash crunch occasioned by the development. However, none had taken any concrete steps to remedy the situation until the incumbent Governor.

Cross River State's view: Leading the case for reallocation of the contended oil wells to Cross River State, after a careful study of the judgement of the ICJ and that of the Supreme Court, the State Governor,

His Excellency, Senator (Prince) Bassey Otu argued that "By virtue of the Cross River estuary configuration under the ICJ judgement, Nigeria retained an unceeded Body of Water (BOW) from the estuary mouth through the East Point median line down to the G Point including the associated elongated continental shelf rights. This confirms the continuous seaward projection and littoral status of Cross River State."

Likewise, Rt. Hon. John Gaul Lebo, a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly submitted that the Supreme Court judgement did not determine ownership of the 76 oil wells, nor did it award them to Akwa Ibom State.

In an article in the Eagles Voice News, Rt. Hon. Lebo  contended that "the Supreme Court made no order transferring, awarding, or reallocating the 76 oil wells.

Instead, the Court expressly stated that the responsibility for oil well attribution lay with the constitutionally designated federal agencies—the National Boundary Commission (NBC), the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGOF), and the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC)—and that the wells should be ascribed to the offshore boundary between Cross River State and Akwa Ibom State where they are physically located, based on proper technical determination."

Cross River State argued that despite no order transferring ownership of the oil wells from Cross River State to Akwa-Ibom State, all agencies of the Federal Government responsible for boundary delamination and revenue allocation: National Boundary Commission, (NBC); Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission, (RMAFC); and Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, (OSG since 2012, the NBC, RMAFC, and (OSGOF),  "have consistently ascribed derivation from the 76 oil wells to Akwa Ibom State, relying on an assumed interpretation of the Supreme Court judgment," the former Speaker said.

Another point stressed by the former speaker is "the fact that no scientific, geological, hydrographic, or geodetic survey has ever been carried out by these agencies to verify the actual coordinates and locations of the wellheads relative to the offshore boundaries of both states. No coordinate-based mapping, seabed analysis, or boundary overlay exercise was undertaken to establish factual entitlement."

The cross River State petition to the President provided a 600 page comprehensive and Compelling scientific, geological, hydrographic, maritime and legal evidence including surface coordinates of 245 oil wells,

Reservoir coordinates of 188 wellheads and 41 shared Reservoir continuity straddles extending from the Cross River Elongated Continental Shelf toward the boundary with Cameroon including the Body of Water within the Cross River Estuary from the West Point median line to the East Point line at the mouth of the Akwayafe Estuary.

This exercise applies modern survey science and verifiable coordinates to determine the precise offshore locations of the 76 oil wells in relation to the maritime boundaries of both Cross River State and Akwa Ibom State.

Buttressing the point that it was never the intention of the Supreme Court judgement to cede the oil wells in question to Akwa-Ibom State, a  comparison of the decision with earlier Supreme Court decisions in similar cases should put the arguments to rest. Where the Supreme Court intended to award oil wells and derivation entitlement, it made specific and detailed orders.

In Rivers State v. Akwa Ibom State, where 86 oil wells were awarded to Rivers State, and Rivers State v. Imo State in which oil wells were reallocated to Rivers State, the Court expressly identified the applicable maps, coordinates, and wells.

the judgment clearly listed the wells, their locations, coordinates, and host communities.

By contrast, in Cross River State v. Akwa Ibom State, no such orders exist.

The judgment contains no list of the 76 oil wells, no coordinates, no Oil Mining Lease (OML) numbers, and no host communities. This omission is decisive and confirms that the Supreme Court did not intend to allocate or reallocate the oil wells, but deliberately left the matter to technical determination by federal agencies.

Based on these facts, Cross River State appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2025 in a 600-page petition copied to RMAFC, BBC, NUPRC, and OSGOF "with evidence of 245 new oil wells and scientific, geological, and legal evidence justifying the state's oil-producing status," according to the Cross River state commissioner for information,  Erasmus Ekpang.

Commendably, President Tinubu wasted no time in constituting an Inter-Agency Committee to look into the matter. This prompt action by the President further solidifies his reputation as a man of action and a listening leader ready to right all wrongs and ensure justice is served.

The Committee conducted scientific, geological study and survey of the area in contention in November 2025 with all evidence affirming Cross River State as the rightful owner of the 76 oil wells and the additional 245 new ones. 

However, the good intention and integrity of President Tinubu and the efforts of the Committee are being rubbished by Akwa-Ibom State. At a public hearing scheduled by the Inter-Agency Committee January 29th to present their findings, Akwa-Ibom State delegation, perceiving the report was not favourable to them, threw up a tantrum, forcing the Committee to halt the presentation of the report midway while postponing it to another day.

Whatsoever they want to achieve by their action they need to beat in mind that scientific facts are not subject to political machinations and interference.

The time has come for Cross River State and its citizens to get justice. 

We lost precious portion of our territory to Cameroon due to the ICJ decision. Thousands of our citizens were uprooted from their ancestral land and became refugees because they chose to remain Nigerians. These people have neither been compensated nor are they being adequately taken care of due to paucity of funds. 

While the Akwa-Ibom State leaders enjoy the illegal flow of oil revenue, the real cost of the fraud is the Cross River child that dies for lack of adequate health care, the pregnant mothers dying in childbirth, the  Bakassi people who have no homes of their own and what more.

I heartily commend President Tinubu, he has shown himself an able leader. I praise Governor Otu resuscitating the case and all leaders of the state for uniting behind the governor on the case.

I implore the President to ensure there is no political interference in the matter. The report should not stay "arrested." Governor Otu and leaders of Cross River State should not sleep at this critical time. Everything should be done to make sure the report and its recommendations see the light of the day.

Faleye Inaugurates LOC for ISSSA West Africa Technical Seminar 2026.

Managing Director and Chief Executive NSITF, Barrister Olúwaṣeun Mayomi Faleye 

Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Barrister Olúwaṣeun Falaye, has inaugurated the local organising committee for the International Social Security Services Association, (ISSSA) West Africa Technical Seminar 2026.

Executive Director Administration, Barrister Samaila Abdul

The event took place at the Board Room of the Fund in Abuja on Wednesday.

Barrister Faleye said, the "inauguration marks an important step in our collective preparations for a seminar of strategic significance, not only to the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, but to the broader agenda of strengthening social security systems across West Africa."

He charged members of the committee not to take their task lightly as he stated that it was an honour to host such an event.

On the theme of the seminar, “Improving Inclusiveness and accessibility of Social Security Services through Effective Communication in West Africa,” the NSITF boss said it "speaks directly to the realities of our region. As social security institutions, our mandate goes beyond policy and administration; it extends to ensuring that our services are understood, accessible, and responsive to theneeds of all segments of society, particularly the vulnerable and underserved."

He explained that the "Seminar is designed to advance that mandate by leveraging digitalisation, promoting innovative communication strategies, and encouraging the use of digital and mobile technologies to expand social security coverage. It will also provide a valuable platform for experience-sharing, peer learning, and the exchange of best practices among social security experts and institutions across the sub-region."

On the expected outcomes of the Seminar, Barrister Faleye forecast that "deliberations from this seminar will deepen our collective understanding of digital transformation in social security administration, strengthen regional collaboration, and generate practical, actionable recommendations for extending coverage in West Africa."

Furthermore, he enumerated expected benefits of the Seminar to NSITF and Nigeria as "enhanced networking with regional and international partners, and the opportunity to showcase Nigeria’s leadership and commitment to social security development."

Stressing the importance of the task before the LOC, he nevertheless, expressed confidence in the ability of the committee to deliver and urged them to be dedicated and committed while embracing team spirit as he wished them success.

The ISSSA West Africa Technical Seminar 2026 is scheduled for April 25 in Abuja. The event will bring together social security services experts from the region and beyond.

Workplace Safety: NSITF advocates for safety culture

Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Barrister. Oluwaseun Faleye, has called for a nationwide shift from mere workplace safety compliance to the entrenchment of a sustainable safety culture across Nigerian industries.

The NSITF boss made the call in Abuja on Tuesday at the NSITF–NECA Safe Workplace Intervention Project (SWIP) Abuja Mega Awards Ceremony, marking the grand finale of the 2025 SWIP programme.

Some of the ambulances presented by NSITF to outstanding organisations 

Faleye said the Abuja event represented the “homecoming of safety” after a 12-day nationwide SWIP journey that began at the NSITF headquarters and passed through key industrial centres including Lagos and Enugu. 

According to him, the initiative symbolises Nigeria’s transition from reacting to workplace accidents to proactively preventing them, while recognising organisations that have prioritised worker protection as a core business value.

Representatives of award-wining organisations 

“A safe workplace is an efficient workplace, and a protected worker is a productive worker,” Faleye said, describing SWIP as a strategic partnership between the NSITF as regulator and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) as operator.

To this end, he  highlighted a policy shift within the agency from what he described as “reactive compensation” to “proactive prevention,” stressing that preventing accidents is far more beneficial than paying compensation after harm has occurred. He emphasised that training, information, and consistent safety awareness are key to transforming safety from a checklist into a habit embedded in organisational culture.

Congratulating recipients of the Abuja Mega Awards, Faleye charged them to see the recognition not as an endpoint but as a responsibility to serve as safety ambassadors within their sectors.

In her remarks, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting Nigerian workers, declaring that workplace safety is a legal obligation and not an option for employers. 

Onyejeocha highlighted the economic importance of the North, pointing to high-risk sectors such as mining, construction, manufacturing and agro-processing, and stressed that safety in these workplaces must be treated as a responsibility rather than a choice.

While acknowledging the Employees’ Compensation Act of 2010 as a strong framework for supporting injured workers, the minister emphasised that compensation alone was insufficient. 

According to her, the government’s priority is prevention, insisting that workers should not have to suffer injury or death before action is taken. She described SWIP as a practical platform that brings employers, regulators and workers together to identify risks, build capacity and prevent accidents.

The Minister issued a stern warning to employers who disregard occupational safety laws, saying the government would no longer tolerate practices that endanger lives in the name of productivity. She warned that violators would face sanctions and prosecution, including for manslaughter where negligence leads to death, while commending organisations recognised at the event for proving that strong labour standards and profitable businesses can coexist.

Thirty-two organisations received various categories of awards at the event for imbibing healthy safety practices in their workplaces.

The awards ranged from plaques to safety gear and ambulances.

Workplace Safety and Health: Today's Choices Determine the Future - NSITF Boss.

Dr. Umar Dingyadi, Minister of Labour and Employment (2nd right) receiving an award.

As the NSITF-NECA Safe Workplace Intervention Project kicks off in Lagos, Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, (NSITF) Barrister Oluwaseun Falaye, has enjoined employers of labour in Nigeria to be intentional about compliance with workplace safety and health regulations as he said that the future is determined by today's choices.

Barrister Oluwaseun Faleye, MD NSITF, making a presentation at the event

In his welcome address at the Lagos Stakeholders' Interactive Enlightenment Forum and Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, Barrister Faleye said, "the future of work in Nigeria will be defined by how much we protect our workforce while driving productivity and growth."

"At the core of the Employees' Compensation Act 2010 is a simple but  profound truth: every worker matters. No job is worth a life. And no organization can sustainably thrive when safety is treated as an afterthought,' he stated.

Executive Director Operations, Hon. Mojisoluwa Ali-Macauley stressing a point

Barrister Faleye urged organizations that are yet to fully align with safety compliance to avail themselves of the event to do so.

He stressed that no job is worth a life, and no organisation can sustainably thrive when safety is treated as an afterthought.

Speaking on the theme of the program: 'Enhancing Workplace Safety, Strengthening Compliance, Celebrating Excellence', the NSITF MD said "the theme captures the full spectrum of our engagement today. Compliance must be seen not as a regulatory obligation alone, but as a strategic business decision that safeguards human capital, reduces operational risk, and enhances organisational reputation". 

Executive Director Administration NSITF, Barrister Samaila Abdul at the event

According to him, SWIP has, over the years, evolved into a strategic platform for driving awareness, strengthening compliance, and fostering collaboration around occupational safety and health, adding that the forum represents a critical interface between policy, practice, and performance, where employers, workers, regulators, and partners engage constructively on how to build safer and more productive workplaces.

"Today's gathering is not merely an information session; it is a shared commitment. It reflects our collective resolve to ensure that economic growth does not come at the expense of worker safety, and that productivity is anchored on environments that protect lives, dignity, and livelihoods," he stated.

Mr. Ayodele, Executive Director Finance,  NSITF at the event.

Speaking on the awards, Faleye said, "today, we also take time to celebrate organisations that have distinguished themselves through demonstrable commitment to occupational safety and health. These awards are not just acknowledgements; they are benchmarks. They signal that compliance is achievable, that safety delivers value, and that excellence in worker protection deserves recognition".

The NSITF boss thanked the parent Ministry of Labour and Employment, NECA, participating organizations, and other partners for the success of the event and reiterated the Fund's commitment to "deepen collaborations, strengthen compliance, and promote a culture where every workplace is a safe workplace."

Explaining the SWIP forum, Director General , NECA, Mr Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, said safety in the work place should be taken as a fundamental issue and core responsibility of  employers.

He said while employers are pursuing maximum or optimum profit, safety of their workers should also be priorities.

He described workplace safety as a life-and-death matter that is still treated with dangerous nonchalance by both employers and employees, despite its far-reaching consequences.

The NECA DG expressed confidence that the initiative would not only reward excellence but also reset the national conversation on workplace safety

The Minister of Labour and Employment , Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi, in a keynote address at the 2025 SWIP kick-off, said the Safe Workplace Intervention Project is a collaborative occupational health and safety initiative designed to enhance workplace safety across Nigeria through structured audits, engagement and recognition.

He said the occupational health and safety is everyone’s responsibility, adding that the ministry cannot do it alone. 

He commended NECA and NSITF for sustaining SWIP, describing it as a model of effective collaboration between government and the private sector.

In a presentation titled "Employees' Compensation Act, 2010: The Journey so Far," the Executive Director Operations at NSITF, Honourable Mojisola Ali-Macauley said that Section 3 of the ECA 2010 makes provisions for Occupational Safety and Health as part of NSITF's mandate.

She revealed that Scheme has a little less than two hundred thousands organizations translating to around eight million employees under its cover. She further stated that 142,745 persons have so far benefited in one form or another from the Scheme.

Seven companies in the Lagos Region received award for maintaining a high standard of Occupational Health and Safety in their workplaces. While Chivita and Nigeria Breweries received an ambulance each, five others received infrastructure OSH awards of first aid kits, PPEs and other safety gadgets for the workplace.

The SWIP, a partnership project between the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund and Nigeria Employers' Consultative Association, was designed to promote voluntary compliance with workplace safety  standards and regulations by organizations through creation of awareness, safety audit and motivation in form of awards to exemplary organisations. It adopts a method that downplays enforcement.

The NSITF-NECA SWIP Awards 2025 is scheduled for Lagos, Enugu, and Abuja for the grand final.

Growth should be anchored in protection and respect for workers. _Faleye.

The Managing Director of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), Barrister Olúwaṣeun Mayomi Faleye has said economic activities and growth are anchored in the protection, responsibility, and respect for the Nigeria worker.

Barrister Faleye stated this while addressing a press conference to flag off the 2025 Safe Workplace Intervention Project, (SWIP).

The project, a collaboration between the NSITF and the Nigeria Employers' Consultative Assembly, (NECA), was scheduled for the year 2025. The MD said however, that "operational exigencies on both sides made it necessary to reconvene in January, 2026."

Delving into the purpose of the project, the NSITF boss said, "SWIP was never conceived as an annual ceremony. It was

conceived as a practical response to a persistent national

challenge: the reality that too many Nigerian workers remain

exposed to avoidable workplace risks, and too many employers

still do not fully understand, or comply with, the protections

provided under the Employees’ Compensation Act, 2010."

"The core purpose of SWIP is simple but profound:

To save lives, protect livelihoods, and strengthen productivity by

making workplace safety and compliance the norm rather than

the exception." He added.

Justifying the NSITF-NECA project, Faleye submitted that, "Experience has shown us that laws alone do not change

behaviour. The Employees’ Compensation Act is robust, but its

effectiveness depends on awareness, trust, and consistent

engagement. Many workplace injuries and fatalities occur not

out of malice, but because safety systems are weak, risks are

poorly understood, or compliance is viewed narrowly as a

regulatory burden."

He explained that "SWIP was designed to close this gap," 

bringing "the law to life by translating statutory provisions into

practical understanding; it connects employers to the real

business value of compliance; and it reinforces the idea that

workplace safety is not an abstract obligation, but a human,

economic, and productivity imperative."

Barrister Faleye called on the media to help escalate workplace safety to national priority.

"The role of the media in this effort cannot be overstated. By

telling these stories, highlighting best practices, and sustaining

public conversation, you help reposition workplace safety from

a peripheral issue to a national priority."

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dr. Sally Ousmane, in an address at the press conference delivered on his behalf by the Director Regional Health and Safety, Mrs. Ovie Florence, commended NSITF and NECA on behalf of the Honourable Minister and the Management of the Federal Ministry of

Labour and Employment, "for sustaining this laudable

initiative, which continues to make meaningful contributions to the strengthening of

Nigerian occupational safety and health." 

He opined that, "The Safe Workplace Intervention Project is a

clear demonstration of what can be achieved through effective collaboration between

governments, employers, and the social security institutions. I am particularly pleased

that the audit components of this year's project covered no fewer than 200 workplaces

in all six geopolitical zones of the country, with the active technical participation of the

Ministry's Occupational Safety and Health Department.

The Ministry's involvement as the audit technical and implementation partner was

aimed at ensuring that the process was conducted in line with national occupational

health and safety standards and global best practises. I am encouraged by the report of

high level of enthusiasm."

In his own speech at the occasion, the Director-General National Employers Consultative Assembly, NECA, Mr. Nneka said Occupation Safety and Health "are now core conventions of the International Labour Organization, (ILO.) since two years ago.

The DG explained that the goal of the SWIP awards was "to enhance voluntary compliance." He revealed that some winning organisations "will be presented ambulances and personal protective equipment in Lagos, Enugu, and Abuja.

On the integrity of the selection process, Mr. Nneka said the process endured rigorous multi-levels auditing and vetting.

Looking ahead, he stated that focus of occupational health and safety would now shift to peculiar problems presented by AI, working at home and other technological innovations.

In a call-to-action address at the event, the Executive Director Operations, NSITF, Hon. Mojisolaoluwa Ali-Macauley said, "The joint assessment by the Federal Ministry of Labour and NSITF

confirms what we have always known: Safe workplaces are not

aspirational – they are achievable when leadership, regulation, and

responsibility work together, exactly as intended by the Employees’

Compensation Act, 2010."

She therefore, called on all employers to institutionalise preventive safety measures urgently. She also enjoined awardee organisations to see the awards as beginning not the end as she urged NECA to "intensify advocacy and employers mobilisation."

She further called on 

"the Federal Ministry of Labour, NSITF, and all regulatory bodies" to "sustain and deepen our collaboration: more evidence-based

inspections, faster interventions, stronger enforcement."

Lastly, Mrs. Ali-Macauley urged "the media and the Nigerian public" to  "keep occupational safety

and health in the spotlight. Safe work is everyone’s responsibility and

a foundation for national productivity and economic stability."

NSITF Aces ICPC's Integrity Ethics and Compliance Test

The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, (NSITF) has recorded marked improvements in the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission's, (ICPC) recently released Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard, (EICS) for 2025 and the ACTU Effectiveness Index for the same year. 

A statement signed by the chairman of NSITF's Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit, (NSITF-ACTU), Mrs Josephine Oamenmade, made  available to newsmen in Abuja Monday, revealed that the Fund, in it's EICS, leapt from 59.0 in 2024 to 71.3 in the year under review. 

The Fund also sprung over 144 other MDAs as it moved 42nd position up from 186th it occupied 2024 on the EICS national ranking out of the 357 MDAs assessed by the anti-graft agency.

The statement reads, 

"We are proud to announce our exceptional performance in the 2025 ICPC Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard. We have moved from 186th to 42nd position nationwide out of 357 MDAs."

According to the NSITF-ACTU, the unit ACTU itself has moved up to 47th position from the 76th in the preceding year as it's score on the ACTU Effectiveness Index, (AEI) while it's score rose to 64.0.

The EICS is an assessment tool used by the ICPC to measure how government Ministries , Departments , and Agencies (MDAs) adhere to ethical standards and anti-corruption regulations yearly.

The NSITF-ACTU attributes the remarkable success to the outstanding leadership qualities of the Fund's Managing Director and Chief Executive, Barrister Olúwaṣeun Mayomi Faleye, and his management team.

"Kudos to the MD/CE, Management, and every staff member for upholding the high standards of accountability that made this possible,” the statement read.

The release concluded by encouraging all staff to continue upholding ethical and integrity standards.

NSITF Shines at SERVICOM Awards Day.

MD/CE NSITF, Barrister Oluwaseun Faleye (centre) flanked by the ED Admin, Barrister Samaila Abdul and another officer displaying the awards 

It was as if the day was made for the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund at the 19th SERVICOM Annual Awards as the Fund's Managing Director and Chief Executive, Barrister Oluwaseun Mayomi Faleye carted away four different awards.

While the Managing Director won the 2025 SERVICOM Award for support and commitment to citizen-centred service delivery, the Fund further bagged SERVICOM Special Recognition Award tagged, "Servicomworkshere" for touching lives through quality service delivery.

Presenting the individual award to Barrister Faleye on Wednesday at the Merit House, Mariama, Abuja venue, Acting National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of SERVICOM, Mr Anthony Olugbenga Oshun said Barrister Oluwaseun Faleye won the Award for his "pragmatic approach to leadership which has continued to attract accolades to the NSITF."

Earlier in his welcome address, the SERVICOM boss explained that the awards' objectives were "entrenchment of a culture of service excellence, encouragement of healthy competition among agencies, promotion of best practices in service delivery nationwide, and accountability," among  others.

Two other awards won by the NSITF are: Second Best Performing Nodal officer (Parastatal) under the SERVICOM MDA Award category won by Gertrude Blosah; and the Second Best Performing (PSU) Team C under the same category.

The ceremony attracted representations from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Head of Service of the Federation (HOSF) and twenty nine other ministries, departments, and agencies.