Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Mohamed Rahman Swaray, and his team, comprising the Senior Permanent Secretary, Joseph Tekman Kanu, and the Deputy Director General of Operations, NASSIT, Edwin Mohamed Kamara, are in Johannesburg, South Africa, to attend the first Africa Social Security Institutions Coordination and Cooperation Forum [ASSCCF] from the 25th – 26th of September, 2024, on the theme: ‘Fostering Inclusive Social Security in Africa: Extending Coverage to the Informal Economy, Rural Sector, and Migrant Workers.’
The conference, which recognises Social Security as a fundamental human right, attracted Government Ministers and technical participants from social security institutions across Africa, to heighten international and national political commitment to the need for comprehensive and adequate social protection.
It generally aims at improving social justice, more inclusion, greater and better distribution of wealth, more well-being, and more protection for our people, which help to improve security in all spheres of life. Specifically, the conference aims to bring together African Social Security Institutions to exchange information and best practices on their various roles in the development agenda of member states.
The Minister and team, whose tireless effort in promoting and championing Labour and Social Security rights, will leave this conference with increased knowledge on best practices for social security extension to workers in the informal economy, rural sector and migrant workers and their families.
This conference is very timely, as the Minister, who is the Chairman of the Steering Committee for the extension of social security coverage to the Informal sector workers in Sierra Leone, received the inception Actuarial valuation report for the design options on the 5th of September, 2024.
The up-to-date knowledge of the ILO Africa Regional Social Protection Strategy (2021-2025) will serve as an additional guide in the extension of social security coverage to the informal sector workers in Sierra Leone. The need for cooperation and collaboration to extend social security to migrant workers and workers in the informal sector cannot be overemphasised.
