About 600,000 self-employed people have signed up for the Self-Employed Enrollment Drive (SEED) program since its inception, according to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).

Although he would not immediately disclose the monthly membership count, he did point out that these independent contractors were now covered by social security in some capacity.

This was declared by the President on Tuesday in Accra at the State of the Nation Address (SONA) presentation to Parliament.

“Mr. Speaker, when we talk about the workplace and jobs, our minds automatically go to youth and, for some of us, to formal and informal employment. We frequently overlook the fact that only a small portion of the working population is employed in the formal sector.

Sadly, the bulk of workers in the nation do not have pensions, and this tiny portion of the working population is typically the one protected by pension plans,” he stated.

In light of this, SSNIT SEED, an effort aimed at expanding the SSNIT Scheme’s contributor base and enhancing coverage, was put into effect in May of last year.