Announcements

The Director General of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) has told a gathering of Social Security experts in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, that good governance is the bedrock of any effective and sustainable social security system.

Mohamed Fuaad Daboh made these remarks on Tuesday, 30th September 2025, during the panel discussion session on the ISSA Guidelines on Good Governance, the Experiences of NASSIT, at the World Social Security Forum, adding that good governance builds trust, ensures financial sustainability, and guarantees the accurate and timely delivery of benefits to members in the occurrence of a contingency.

Identifying the five key principles of good governance, which he noted had their unique challenges for Sierra Leone, Mr Daboh noted that even though the NASSIT ICT systems remained fragmented and somewhat inefficient, his administration had embarked on an ambitious digital reform programme which included data cleaning, the roll-out of a web-based Pension Administration System, a biometric registration system, and infrastructure upgrades. He further went on to explain that biometric identification would be implemented as a verification system for pensioners to streamline the pension payment process, reduce fraud and eliminate ghost pensioners from the payroll.

On coverage expansion, the Director General revealed that NASSIT had undertaken “ambitious reforms to expand social protection to the uncovered population”, adding, “with support from the International Labour Organisation and the Attorney General’s office, we have drafted a bill to establish a social insurance scheme for informal sector workers.”

Mr Daboh also spoke about the establishment of the Social Security court by the Judiciary of Sierra Leone for NASSIT compliance cases, the benefit formulae and eligibility criteria which are defined in the NASSIT Act and are clearly communicated to the different stakeholders through service charters, brochures and digital platforms. “This provides a predictable outcome for our contributors,” he affirmed.

The NASSIT Strongman expressed his delight and pride that, despite the economic challenges, NASSIT had consistently striven to make timely and regular monthly pension payments, which are a critical block for nation-building and retiree confidence. Mr Daboh also held several bilateral and multilateral meetings with key stakeholders, including the leadership of the ISSA, during which he discussed plans for the establishment of the Salone Informal Sector Pension Scheme.

Some of the key outcomes of the World Social Security Forum included the need for resilient, inclusive, and digitalised social protection systems; the commitment by the ISSA members to implement guidelines, share innovations, and strengthen cooperation across all regions; and the importance of data, partnerships, and local adaptation to turn global discussions into real policy impact.

This year’s World Social Security Forum was organised by the International Social Security Association (ISSA) and hosted by Malaysia’s Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) from September 29 to October 3, 2025. It brought together ministers, policymakers, social security experts and leaders to address how social protection systems can adapt to rapid demographic, economic, and technological changes.
NASSIT, we care!